Mom’s roots put Hatfield in hot water

By admitting that his mother was born in the United States, Rudy Hatfield is now presumed to be an American, and therefore has no right to stay a minute longer in the Philippine Basketball Association–unless he is tapped as an import.

While under oath, Hatfield, a member of the RP team in last year’s Busan Asian Games, admitted before the Senate committee on games, amusement and sports the other day that his mother, Lilian Valdez, was born in Georgia, making her an American citizen from birth.

Sen. Robert Barbers, the committee chairman, was grilling the flamboyant Coca-Cola cager about his alleged roots in Luna, La Union, when the citizenship issue of her mother was raised.

"What is the citizenship of your mother?" the senator asked.

"My mother was born in the United States. She was born in Georgia," was Hatfield’s quick reply, prompting Sen. John Osmeña to cut the conversation short.

"Mr. Hatfield. Did I hear you correctly when you said that your mother was born in the United States?" the Cebuano lawmaker asked in a very slow but very firm fashion.

"Yes you did," the cager replied.

"Are you familiar with American laws?" Osmeña then asked as he turned to the panel of Bureau of Immigration lawyers and hearing officers of Fil-foreign players seeking Filipino recognition.

"The mother of Mr. Hatfield was born in the United States, and in the US, they follow jus soli. And therefore she’s an American citizen from birth. So with Mr. Hatfield’s own admission, we don’t have to go through all of these documents," Osmeña said as if declaring Hatfield’s case closed.

Jus soli is the principle, being followed in the US, stating that the country of birth determines the citizenship of a child (in this case Hatfield mother). Here in the Philippines, jus sanguinis is in effect, stating that the citizenship of a child is that of the citizenship of the parents. Like the case of Alex Compton, born here to American parents. Therefore, whether Hatfield was born in the US or in the Philippines, he is now presumed to be an American.

"Actions should be taken against those who violate our laws. But we are still digging deeper on this. And that’s the reason why we’re inviting their lawyers. Para wala silang masabi and that due process is observed. We’ll give them time to talk," said Barbers.

Commissioner Noli Eala of the PBA, however, refused to decide on the issue at this point, saying it’s "too premature to act based on the Senate findings."

Also coming under fire before the Senate the other day were Fil-foreign players John Ordonio of Alaska, Dorian Peña of San Miguel, Eric Menk of Ginebra and the Seigles—Andy of Purefoods and Danny of SMB.

Ordonio and Peña got in trouble after the Senate committee established oral and written certifications belying their claims tracing their roots in La Union and Negros Occ., respectively—the same as Ali Peek of Alaska, who did not show up in the hearing.

Menk’s case stems from the fact that her mother Lucia Padua, submitted two different birth certificates while that of Andy Seigle focused on the cancellation of his RP passport last March.

A lawyer, however, argued that the cancellation of his passport doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s not Filipino, like in the case of persons charged with criminal or administrative cases whose passports are cancelled but remain as Filipinos.

"To prove that Andy Seigle is not a Filipino will take a different course of action. It should go through the judicial process and not determined by the mere cancellation of his RP passport," the lawyer said.