Record shows Asi's grandma born in RP

Mobiline player Paul Asi Taulava submitted eight pieces of evidence, including the death certificate of his grandmother, to bolster his claim to Philippine citizenship as he appeared for the second time yesterday at the Bureau of Immigration.

But Immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez said the BI board of commissioners has not yet ruled on Taulava's case, pending another hearing on April 18 wherein more witnesses were to be called to testify.

Rodriguez said he hopes the next hearing will be the last on Taulava's case, since the player's lawyers informed the board that they were through presenting their evidenc.

Taulava's lawyers presented, among others, a true copy of the death certificate of his alleged grandmother, Ana Hernandez Mateaki, who died in Tonga in 1959, which showed that she was born in the Philippines.

The certificate, which was authenticated by the Philippine consulate in California, was issued by the Registrar of births, deaths and marriages in Nuku'alofa, Tonga.

Taulava also submitted a certification from the municipal civil registrar of Bobon, Samar stating that the original birth certificate of the player's mother, Pauline Hernandez Mateaki, could no longer be produced as the records between 1932 to 1953 were destroyed by typhoons.

Also presented at the hearing was a cer-tification from officials of the Pacific Rim Basketball League in California who stated that Taulava played for the tournament as a member of Fil-Am teams from 1992-96. - Rey Arquiza.