Press Release
November 29, 2022

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva's co-sponsorship speech on the measure granting Philippine citizenship to Justin Donta Brownlee
House Bill No. 6224 under Committee Report No. 13

Mr. President, esteemed colleagues:

Basketball is life.

It goes without saying that the Philippines as a nation, is basketball crazy. Aside from religiously following the National Basketball Association and idolizing its superstars, the country likewise prides itself for its own Philippine Basketball Association, the country's professional basketball league and the first of its kind in Asia. Since then, a number of other professional and collegiate basketball leagues have been introduced in response to the growing enthusiasm of the Filipinos to participate in this sport.

Hindi na po ako lalayo, Mr. President. I, myself, am a product of the Varsity Team of UST; my high school teammate is here in the gallery; my college teammate is also here, as a UST Tiger basketball superstar.

This dedication to the game is further manifested in international basketball competitions such as the Asian Basketball Cup, where we found out that Justin Brownlee is one of our prized players, Mr. President.

Thus, it is my great honor to co-sponsor House Bill No. 6224 under Committee Report Number 13, or An Act Granting Philippine Citizenship To Justin Donta Brownlee.

Justin was born on April 23, 1988 in Georgia, United States of America. His contributions helped his team win five PBA titles. And as a Barangay Ginebra fan, we are looking forward to his sixth title in the PBA.

Aside from winning the Best Import Award not once but twice, these achievements have brought enormous pride and joy to the Philippine Basketball Association and admiration from all basketball enthusiasts in the country. With a very illustrious career in basketball, he wishes to play for the Philippine national team and has expressed his desire to stay in the country and be a naturalized citizen.

Mr. President, I was present during the committee hearing held in this very building. I was very impressed that he himself volunteered to train our very own Gilas players because of his experience. If you recall, he's been playing in different parts of the world so he knows what it's like to play in international competitions. He volunteered himself, Mr. President, nang sa ganoon ay lalo pang mahasa at lalo pang gumaling at maexpose ang ating mga basketball players in international competition.

His drive to hone his craft, discipline to stay in shape, and determination to win games makes him an epitome of a true Filipino athlete. Mr. Brownlee also demonstrated his willingness to immerse himself in the Filipino culture by learning to speak Tagalog, being involved in several community service projects, and even expressing his excitement to vote in the next elections. He has indeed imbibed the Bayanihan spirit.

Mr. Brownlee's unequivocal allegiance to this country, admirable sportsmanship, and remarkable skills in the field of basketball will complement the country's roster of world-class athletes and help the Philippine national team regain recognition in international basketball tournaments.

His love for the Philippines and basketball truly makes him a Filipino at heart and we are lucky to have him. We welcome him as one of our own and we look forward to seeing him wearing the Philippine jersey in the 2023 FIBA world cup.

Before I end, Mr. President, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our esteemed colleagues, especially the sponsor of this measure, Senator Francis Tolentino for his unwavering support to the field of sports in the country and for steadfastly pushing for the passage of this bill.

As I mentioned to him earlier, this citizenship bill is probably the fastest, if I'm not mistaken, in the history of this august chamber.

This representation fully supports this particular measure.

Maraming salamat po, Ginoong Pangulo, and may God Bless us all.

News Latest News Feed