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league in the
Philippines in the early 2000s. The eligibility of certain Filipinos with foreign heritage to play in the league has been disputed which led the PBA to place more restriction on Filipinos born overseas and/or of foreign descent.
79:
The issue persisted in the early 2000s, with the eligibility of certain
Filipino-foreigners to play in the PBA was put into question particularly their heritage by locally based Filipino players. In 2002, the PBA Players' Association, led by
364:
Eligibility to play as a
Filipino-foreigner in the PBA. May have or may not have featured in league games. Unproven eligibility may mean failing to satisfy documentary requirements and not necessarily reflective of one's status as Filipino
385:(now Barako Bull Energy) in 2001. Eventually some of the Filipino-foreigners were able to prove their eligibility. As a response the PBA required Filipino-foreigners born outside the Philippines aspiring to join the PBA documents from the
84:
in a Senate inquiry led by
Barbers, claimed that ten out of 25 Filipino-foreigners playing in the PBA at that time were fake though the group did not publicly disclosed the identities of the players during the inquiry. PBA commissioner
505:
609:
72:
reopened
Alvarado's case and ordered for his deportation after concluding that he had falsified his mother's citizenship documents. Two of Tanduay's semifinal games in the
64:
called for an inquiry to look into
Filipino-foreigners who may have falsified their Filipino citizenship documents responding to allegations raised by his colleague
49:, who were also referred to as "Fil-ams". Players who were alleged to have falsified proof of their Filipino heritage were pejoratively branded as "Fil-shams".
352:
776:
791:
471:
45:
in 2002, meant that PBA was the only league where
Filipino-foreigners wanting to play in the Philippines could play. Many of these players were
321:
Was deported from the
Philippines in 2000 but was able to reinstated the following year. His citizenship was again subject to dispute in 2004.
745:
243:
Has a
Filipino mother. Was cleared by the Department of Justice, but then was accused of forging his documents. Left the country in 2004.
390:
386:
166:
69:
42:
423:
The PBA relaxed its rules on foreign-born
Filipinos in November 2021, only requiring them a Philippine passport to join the PBA draft.
781:
38:
21:
690:
404:
who played high school and college basketball in the Philippines but was considered as a Filipino-foreigner since he was born in
786:
661:
41:(PBA) saw an influx of Filipino players of foreign descent or Filipino-foreigners in the late-1990s. The dissolution of the
716:
89:
formed a five-member committee to tackle the issue which has been attributed to the declining popularity of the league.
635:
73:
557:
394:
413:
342:
Associated FIBA nationality of non-Filipino citizenship. May or may not be a holder of Filipino citizenship.
206:
Last played in the PBA in 2005. The Department of Justice later affirmed his Filipino citizenship in 2009.
441:
416:. Matt, the older of the two did not have to secure documents from the BI and DOJ since he was born in
409:
378:
57:
56:
who claimed to be Filipino and Puerto Rican descent, who went on to becoming a key player for the
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61:
281:
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53:
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68:. Alvarado was among those implicated but was cleared in January 2000. However the
294:
179:
142:
60:. Alvarado claims Filipino heritage from his mother. In September 1999, Senator
52:
One early notable case was that of Sonny Alvarado, the top-overall pick in the
610:"Here's how 2000 PBA draft will look if we include direct hires from MBA, PBL"
25:
405:
86:
420:
while the younger brother had to since he was born in the United States.
417:
401:
280:
Has a Filipino mother who resides in California. He is good friends with
253:
746:"Brandon Rosser welcomes easing of PBA rules for Fil-foreign aspirants"
531:
506:"PBA is reluctant to relax its rules on Fil-foreigners because of this"
310:
97:
The following players have been implicated with the controversy.
691:"Menk urges PBA to review 'very inconsistent' Fil-foreign rules"
381:, who signed in Sonny Alvarado in 1999, sold its franchise to
662:"Asi Taulava happy to have put 'Fil-Sham' issue behind him"
393:(DOJ) affirming their Filipino heritage as early as the
20:
refers to a player eligibility issue which affected the
397:. A quota on foreign-born Filipinos were also imposed.
99:
76:
which featured Alvarado were voided as a consequence.
169:
ruled he had falsified his mother's birth document.
684:
682:
739:
737:
472:"How the 'Fil-sham' controversy hounded the PBA"
165:Claimed Filipino heritage from his mother. The
8:
532:"Filipino players unite against 'Fil-shams'"
284:who actively campaigned against "Fil-shams".
499:
497:
495:
493:
466:
464:
462:
715:Asis, Michael Angelo (November 11, 2021).
634:Henson, Joaquin M. (January 26, 2010).
504:Leongson, Randolph (February 5, 2021).
432:
335:
24:(PBA), the top-flight and professional
717:"New PBA rules: Too little, too late?"
614:Sports Interactive Network Philippines
510:Sports Interactive Network Philippines
582:Henson, Joaquin (December 13, 2001).
7:
440:Orellana, Joel (December 24, 2018).
636:"Whatever happened to Jon Ordonio?"
608:Leongson, Randolph (May 26, 2020).
556:Henson, Joaquin (August 19, 2003).
408:, and the Ganuelas-Rosser brothers
400:This led to peculiar cases such as
353:Philippine national basketball team
43:Metropolitan Basketball Association
777:Sports scandals in the Philippines
744:Lozada, Bong (November 19, 2021).
14:
792:Philippine Basketball Association
530:Cruz, Agnes (December 20, 2002).
39:Philippine Basketball Association
22:Philippine Basketball Association
558:"5-man body to tackle Fil-Shams"
303:
262:
225:
188:
147:
135:
689:Lozada, Bong (March 28, 2021).
660:Giongco, Mark (July 22, 2020).
1:
355:at any point of their career.
442:"Local stars still sparkle"
808:
750:Philippine Daily Inquirer
695:Philippine Daily Inquirer
666:Philippine Daily Inquirer
117:
114:
111:
108:
106:Non-Filipino nationality
105:
102:
74:2000 PBA All-Filipino Cup
782:Basketball controversies
395:PBA Developmental League
787:Sport and nationality
391:Department of Justice
387:Bureau of Immigration
167:Bureau of Immigration
109:National team player
70:Bureau of Immigration
379:Tanduay Rhum Masters
373:Aftermath and legacy
162:Unproven eligibility
58:Tanduay Rhum Masters
18:Fil-sham controversy
588:The Philippine Star
562:The Philippine Star
351:Has played for the
584:"Letter for Sonny"
93:Associated players
47:Filipino-Americans
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721:The Manila Times
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478:. June 15, 2020
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62:Robert Jaworski
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127:Sonny Alvarado
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82:Jojo Lastimosa
66:Robert Barbers
54:1999 PBA draft
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446:Daily Tribune
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389:(BI) and the
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755:February 17,
753:. Retrieved
749:
726:February 17,
724:. Retrieved
720:
710:
700:February 17,
698:. Retrieved
694:
671:February 17,
669:. Retrieved
665:
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643:. Retrieved
640:Philstar.com
639:
629:
619:February 17,
617:. Retrieved
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603:
593:February 17,
591:. Retrieved
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567:February 17,
565:. Retrieved
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541:February 17,
539:. Retrieved
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515:February 17,
513:. Retrieved
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482:February 17,
480:. Retrieved
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451:February 17,
449:. Retrieved
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399:
376:
360:
347:
338:
96:
78:
51:
36:
17:
15:
295:Asi Taulava
217:Jon Ordonio
180:Davonn Harp
143:Puerto Rico
771:Categories
427:References
118:Reference
33:Background
26:basketball
645:April 27,
536:Arab News
406:Hong Kong
87:Noli Eala
476:ESPN.com
418:Olongapo
402:CJ Perez
365:citizen.
254:Ali Peek
414:Brandon
318:Cleared
277:Cleared
240:Cleared
203:Cleared
112:Status
308:
267:
230:
193:
152:
140:
115:Notes
330:Notes
311:Tonga
103:Name
757:2022
728:2022
702:2022
673:2022
647:2022
621:2022
595:2022
569:2022
543:2022
517:2022
484:2022
453:2022
412:and
410:Matt
377:The
37:The
16:The
315:Yes
773::
748:.
736:^
719:.
693:.
681:^
664:.
638:.
612:.
586:.
560:.
534:.
508:.
492:^
474:.
461:^
444:.
274:No
237:No
200:No
159:No
759:.
730:.
704:.
675:.
649:.
623:.
597:.
571:.
545:.
519:.
486:.
455:.
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