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FILIPINO-FOREIGN players who intend to join the 2008
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Rookie Draft
have one week left to submit their application forms and
pertinent documents that will attest to their
citizenship claim.
Solomon Mercado, acknowledge by self-proclaimed experts
as a smart ball handler, is reportedly scheduled to drop
by the PBA offices in Libis, Quezon City, any time this
week to beat the July 8 deadline.
According to his agent, Charlie Dy, only the affirmation
of the Department of Justice (DOJ) is what’s keeping the
stocky six-foot-two guard of Harbour Centre from
formally making himself available for this year’s Draft,
scheduled on August 31 at the Market! Market! in Taguig
City.
Dy
said he expects Solomon to complete the requirements
before weekend.
A key
figure in two of the Batang Pier’s four successive
Philippine Basketball League (PBL) title runs, Solomon
is hoping to be included in the preliminary list of
foreign-bred players whose legitimacy will be thoroughly
scrutinized by the 10-member clubs during a monthlong
contestability period from July 12 to August 11.
The
requirements for Fil-foreign players are a Certificate
of Recognition from Bureau of Immigration, an
affirmation from the DOJ, authenticated birth
certificate from the National Statistics Office if
applicant is born in the Philippines (or equivalent
official agency in country of birth other than the
Philippines) and authenticated birth certificate of
Filipino parent or other valid document acceptable to
the appropriate agency.
Also
needed are the marriage certificate of parents (or in
the absence thereof due to circumstances beyond
applicant’s control, legal recognition by applicant’s
Filipino father or other proof evidencing filiation such
as will, record of birth or DNA test results), duly
notarized and/or authenticated naturalization papers of
Filipino parents and, duly notarized affidavits of at
least three persons residing in the Philippines
attesting to the claim of citizenship of the applicant.
To
date, seven aspirants have applied for the Draft,
including TY Tang, Jeff Chan, Mark Borboran, Cholo
Villanueva, Kelvin Gregorio and San Mig Coffee’s Kevin
Dalafu, the only Filipino-American on the short list.
Also
expected to add depth to this year’s Draft are Hapee
Toothpaste’s Gabe Norwood, Harbour Centre’s Beau Belga,
comebacking Filipino-American Rob Reyes and hopefully,
the Ateneo duo of Ford Arao and Chris Tiu.
“We’re looking forward to another successful Rookie
Draft. That’s the reason why we’ve come out with this
[itinerary] for would-be applicants to comply with so
that everything will go on smoothly come D-Day,” said
PBA commissioner Renauld “Sonny” Barrios.
In the
meantime, homegrown talents have until August 12 to
submit their application forms. The Commissioner’s
Office will announce the official list of rookie
candidates on August 15.
All
applicants will then take part in the expanded Rookie
Camp that will run from August 22 to 24.
Filipino-American Joe Devance (Welcoat), Samigue Eman
(Magnolia) and Ryan Reyes (Sta. Lucia) emerged as the
top three picks in last year’s Draft. |
