DOJ clears Ordonio; Asi ‘in danger’

The Department of Justice has affirmed the Philippine citizenship of basketball player Jonathan William Ordonio after evaluation of documents he submitted to prove he was no Fil-sham.

In a resolution dated May 27, Acting Justice Secretary Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez said the DOJ found no "cogent reason" to overturn its earlier ruling acknowledging the Filipino citizenship of Ordonio, a player for Alaska team.

As this developed, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuno merely hinted that another suspected Fil-sham, Asi Taulava of Talk N Text "is in danger."

Gutierrez and Zuno refused to give further details on Taulava’s case since it is under evaluation by the DOJ legal staff. Gutierrez said they are in the process of reviewing the recommendations of the National Bureau of Investigation. She added the details could also not be discussed because they are confidential, subject to review and thus not yet final.

In the case of Ordonio, Gutierrez noted in the resolution that "we cannot simply disregard certain documents" showing that he is a son of a Filipino mother and may therefore be deemed as citizen of the Philippines pursuant to provisions of the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions.

Among the documents cited were the authenticated standard certificate of live birth of Corazon Ordonio, the petitioner’s mother, issued by the Bureau of Statistics, Board of Health, Territory of Hawaii, indicating that she was born in Wahiawa, Honolulu in Hawaii, and the child of Mauro Estrada Ordonio and Dominga Molina, both Filipino nationals.

The Alaska player’s own certificate of live birth issued on Dec. 4, 1998 by the Department of Public Health, State of California, stating that he was born in Monterey, California, on March 21, 1976 and the child of Corazon Ordonio, a Filipino national, who affixed her signature on the document was also considered by the DOJ.

The DOJ reiterated its July 28, 2000 resolution that the young Ordonio could be recognized as Filipino.

The 2000 ruling also pointed out that a letter from the United States DOJ showed no records that Ordonio’s grandfather was naturalized as an American citizen. This has also been an affirmation of the department’s Nov. 9, 1998 resolution acknowledging Ordonio’s Philippine citizenship.

Ordonio and Taulava were earlier recommended by two Senate committees for deportation for having fake Filipino citizenship along with Andy Seigle of Purefoods, Rudy Hatfield of Coca-Cola, Alex Crisano of Ginebra, Dorian Peña of San Miguel, Davonn Harp and Mick Pennisi, both of Red Bull.

In the case of Taulava, his lawyers stressed they have sufficient documents to prove the cage star is a legitimate Filipino and urged government agencies to file a case in proper court to end the controversy once and for all.