Senate committee approves Andray Blatche's naturalization

Two more approvals in the Senate, a merge with House Bill 4084, and a signature of President Benigno Aquino Jr. are the only things required before Andray Blatche of the Brooklyn Nets could call himself a naturalized Filipino citizen.

The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights headed by Senator Edgardo “Sonny” Angara okayed Senate Bill 2108 on the committee level which brought Blatche one step closer to helpng out Gilas Pilipinas in their upcoming stint in the FIBA World Cup in Spain.

After the hearing, Angara thanked Senator Majority Leader Alan Cayetano and Justice Chair Koko Pimentel for prioritizing the bill to naturalize Blatche.

If and when Senate Bill 2108 and House Bill 4084 reach Aquino, he will have 30 days to veto or sign it into law. Time is of the essence for this bill as Gilas Pilipinas will be training full time for their stint in the FIBA World Cup in Spain immediately after the 2014 PBA Governor’s Cup which is slated to finish on or a few days before July 9. The team will then fly to China to join the FIBA Asia Cup and it is in their best interest to know well before that time if Blatche will be with the team.

Hours before the Senate hearing, Marcus Douthit, the most recent naturalized basketball player for the Philippines tweeted “Time to get ready to do what needs to be done for the country.”

Even if Blatche is essentially his replacement, Douthit has supported the naturalization process from the beginning.

In the hearing, Reyes also spoke volumes of how training with Douthit improved the skills of Filipino big men. Reyes noted that Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter, and June Mar Fajardo have all benefited from training alongside Douthit and should benefit more by practicing and playing with a full-fledged NBA player in Blatche. Reyes also took time to thank Douthit for his support in the process.