{{Short description|Philippine Basketball Association eligibility issue}} {{Use Philippine English|date=April 2023}} {{use mdy dates|date=February 2022}} The '''Fil-sham controversy''' refers to a player eligibility issue which affected the [[Philippine Basketball Association]] (PBA), the top-flight and professional [[basketball]] league in the Philippines in the early 2000s. The eligibility of certain Filipinos with foreign heritage to play in the league has been disputed which led the PBA to place more restriction on Filipinos born overseas and/or of foreign descent.

==Background== The [[Philippine Basketball Association]] (PBA) saw an influx of Filipino players of foreign descent or Filipino-foreigners in the late-1990s. The dissolution of the [[Metropolitan Basketball Association]] in 2002, meant that PBA was the only league where Filipino-foreigners wanting to play in the Philippines could play.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Orellana |first1=Joel |title=Local stars still sparkle |url=https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2018/12/24/local-stars-still-sparkle/ |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=Daily Tribune |date=24 December 2018}}</ref> Many of these players were [[Filipino-Americans]], who were also referred to as "Fil-ams". Players who were alleged to have falsified proof of their Filipino heritage were pejoratively branded as "Fil-shams".<ref name="espn-peek">{{cite news |title=How the 'Fil-sham' controversy hounded the PBA |url=https://www.espn.ph/basketball/pba/story/_/id/29312135/ali-peek-recalls-fil-sham-controversy-hounded-pba-early-2000s |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=ESPN.com |date=15 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

One early notable case was that of Sonny Alvarado, the top-overall pick in the [[1999 PBA draft]] who claimed to be Filipino and Puerto Rican descent, who went on to becoming a key player for the [[Tanduay Rhum Masters]]. Alvarado claims Filipino heritage from his mother. In September 1999, Senator [[Robert Jaworski]] called for an inquiry to look into Filipino-foreigners who may have falsified their Filipino citizenship documents responding to allegations raised by his colleague [[Robert Barbers]]. Alvarado was among those implicated but was cleared in January 2000. However the [[Bureau of Immigration (Philippines)|Bureau of Immigration]] reopened Alvarado's case and ordered for his deportation after concluding that he had falsified his mother's citizenship documents. Two of Tanduay's semifinal games in the [[2000 PBA All-Filipino Cup]] which featured Alvarado were voided as a consequence.<ref name=reluctant>{{cite news |last1=Leongson |first1=Randolph |title=PBA is reluctant to relax its rules on Fil-foreigners because of this |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/sad-case-of-sonny-alvarado-a-cautionary-tale-as-pba-enforces-stern-ruling-on-fil-foreigners-a2437-20210205-lfrm |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=Sports Interactive Network Philippines |date=5 February 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

The issue persisted in the early 2000s, with the eligibility of certain Filipino-foreigners to play in the PBA was put into question particularly their heritage by locally based Filipino players.<ref name="espn-peek"/> In 2002, the PBA Players' Association, led by [[Jojo Lastimosa]] in a Senate inquiry led by Barbers, claimed that ten out of 25 Filipino-foreigners playing in the PBA at that time were fake though the group did not publicly disclosed the identities of the players during the inquiry.<ref name="arab-news">{{cite news |last1=Cruz |first1=Agnes |title=Filipino players unite against 'Fil-shams' |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/226856 |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=Arab News |date=20 December 2002 |language=en}}</ref> PBA commissioner [[Noli Eala]] formed a five-member committee to tackle the issue which has been attributed to the declining popularity of the league.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Henson |first1=Joaquin |title=5-man body to tackle Fil-Shams |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2003/08/19/217739/5-man-body-tackle-fil-shams |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=The Philippine Star |date=19 August 2003}}</ref>

==Associated players== The following players have been implicated with the controversy.

{|width=100% class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- !scope="col"|Name !scope="col"|Non-Filipino nationality{{efn|Associated FIBA nationality of non-Filipino citizenship. May or may not be a holder of Filipino citizenship.|name=Other-nationality}} !scope="col"|National team player{{efn|Has played for the [[Philippines men's national basketball team|Philippine national basketball team]] at any point of their career.|name=national-team}} !scope="col"|Status{{efn|Eligibility to play as a Filipino-foreigner in the PBA. May have or may not have featured in league games. Unproven eligibility may mean failing to satisfy documentary requirements and not necessarily reflective of one's status as Filipino citizen.|name=status}} !scope="col"|Notes !scope="col"|Reference |- | {{sortname|Sonny|Alvarado}} || {{PUR}}<br>{{USA}} || {{no}} || {{no|Unproven eligibility}} || Claimed Filipino heritage from his mother. The [[Bureau of Immigration (Philippines)|Bureau of Immigration]] ruled he had falsified his mother's birth document. ||<ref name=reluctant/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Henson |first1=Joaquin |title=Letter for Sonny |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2001/12/13/143478/letter-sonny |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=The Philippine Star |date=13 December 2001}}</ref> |- | {{sortname|Davonn|Harp}} || {{USA}} || {{no}} || {{yes|Cleared}} || Last played in the PBA in 2005. The Department of Justice later affirmed his Filipino citizenship in 2009. || <ref>{{cite news |last1=Leongson |first1=Randolph |title=Here's how 2000 PBA draft will look if we include direct hires from MBA, PBL |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/2000-pba-draft-redraft-direct-hires-jayjay-helterbrand-kerby-raymundo-dondon-hontiveros-a2437-20200526-lfrm2 |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=Sports Interactive Network Philippines |date=26 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref> |- | {{sortname|Jon|Ordonio}}|| {{USA}} || {{no}} || {{yes|Cleared}} || Has a Filipino mother. Was cleared by the Department of Justice, but then was accused of forging his documents. Left the country in 2004. || <ref>{{Cite web |last=Henson |first=Joaquin M. |date=Jan 26, 2010 |title=Whatever happened to Jon Ordonio? |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2010/01/26/543581/whatever-happened-jon-ordonio |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=Philstar.com}}</ref> |- | {{sortname|Ali|Peek}} || {{USA}} || {{no}} || {{yes|Cleared}} || Has a Filipino mother who resides in California. He is good friends with [[Jojo Lastimosa]] who actively campaigned against "Fil-shams". || <ref name="espn-peek"/> |- | {{sortname|Asi|Taulava}} || {{TON}} || {{yes}} || {{yes|Cleared}} || Was deported from the Philippines in 2000 but was able to be reinstated the following year. His citizenship was again subject to dispute in 2004. || <ref>{{cite news |last1=Giongco |first1=Mark |title=Asi Taulava happy to have put 'Fil-Sham' issue behind him |url=https://sports.inquirer.net/399190/asi-taulava-happy-to-have-put-fil-sham-issue-behind-him |access-date=17 February 2022 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=22 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref> |-

|} ;Notes {{notelist}}

==Aftermath and legacy== The [[Tanduay Rhum Masters]], who signed in Sonny Alvarado in 1999, sold its franchise to [[Barako Bull Energy|FedEx Express]] (now Barako Bull Energy) in 2001. Eventually some of the Filipino-foreigners were able to prove their eligibility.<ref name=reluctant/> As a response the PBA required Filipino-foreigners born outside the Philippines aspiring to join the PBA documents from the [[Bureau of Immigration (Philippines)|Bureau of Immigration]] (BI) and the [[Department of Justice (Philippines)|Department of Justice]] (DOJ) affirming their Filipino heritage as early as the [[PBA Developmental League]].<ref name="inconsistencies">{{cite news |last1=Lozada |first1=Bong |title=Menk urges PBA to review 'very inconsistent' Fil-foreign rules |url=https://sports.inquirer.net/419075/menk-urges-pba-to-review-very-inconsistent-fil-foreign-rules |access-date=17 February 2022 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=28 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=reluctant/> A quota on foreign-born Filipinos were also imposed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Asis |first1=Michael Angelo |title=New PBA rules: Too little, too late? |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/11/11/sports/new-pba-rules-too-little-too-late/1821700 |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=The Manila Times |date=11 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

This led to peculiar cases such as [[CJ Perez]] who played high school and college basketball in the Philippines but was considered as a Filipino-foreigner since he was born in [[Hong Kong]], and the Ganuelas-Rosser brothers [[Matt Ganuelas-Rosser|Matt]] and [[Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser|Brandon]].<ref name="inconsistencies"/> Matt, the older of the two did not have to secure documents from the BI and DOJ since he was born in [[Olongapo]] while the younger brother had to since he was born in the United States.<ref name=brandonrossier>{{cite news |last1=Lozada |first1=Bong |title=Brandon Rosser welcomes easing of PBA rules for Fil-foreign aspirants |url=https://sports.inquirer.net/442176/brandon-rosser-welcomes-easing-of-pba-rules-for-fil-foreign-aspirants |access-date=17 February 2022 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=19 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

The PBA relaxed its rules on foreign-born Filipinos in November 2021, only requiring them a Philippine passport to join the PBA draft.<ref name=brandonrossier/>

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Basketball controversies in the Philippines]] [[Category:Sport and nationality]] [[Category:Philippine Basketball Association]] [[Category:Nationality controversies]]