Immigration bans Cebu Fil-Am

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) ordered yesterday the deportation of a Filipino-American basketball player found guilty of making a mockery of the Philippine national anthem and the national flag.

Immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez said Matthew Gaerlan Mitchell, who plays for the Cebu Gems in the Metropolitan Basketball Association, was ordered to leave the country for being an undesirable alien.

Rodriguez said Mitchell was deported for singing and dancing to the tune of Star Spangled Banner, the American national anthem, while the Philippine anthem was being played.

The incident occurred at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) last Oct. 19 while Mitchell and his teammates were about to leave for their game in Bacolod City.

Mitchell, one of the Gems' two Fil-Ams, has two more years left in his contract with Cebu. He is reported to have gone back to the US after the Gems lost the MBA crown to the Manila Metrostars last December.

Meanwhile, the MRBI (Multi-Regional Basketball, Inc.) board is expected to formally name former PBL commissioner Ogie Narvasa as the league's new chief on Thursday.

Although only minor details of the contract have yet to be finalized, MBA sources said Narvasa wanted to be assured of the commissioner's office's autonomy so as not to suffer the same fate that befell former commissioner Ramon Fernandez.

Rodriguez stressed that the deportation order should deter other foreigners staying in the Philippines from imitating what Mitchell did which insulted the "dignity, honor and values of the Filipino people."

The case against Mitchell stemmed from a complaint field against him by two MCIA employees who testified that they personally saw how Mitchell sang and danced to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner while the Lupang Hinirang was being played.