THE naturalization bills granting Philippine citizenship to basketball player Bennie Francois Boatwright III and wrestler Matthew James Ramos have lapsed into law, clearing a major hurdle in their bid to officially become Filipino citizens.
Republic Act No. 12323 grants Philippine citizenship to Boatwright, while Republic Act No. 12324 grants citizenship to Ramos, Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro told Bilyonaryo News Channel’s Ivy Reyes.
The measures became law after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. did not act on them within the constitutionally prescribed period since it was trasmitted by the Congress on July 30, 2026.
Boatwright, a 27-year-old, 6-foot-10 forward from Los Angeles, has been playing as an import for the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA and has emerged as a candidate for Gilas Pilipinas’ naturalized-player spot.
Boatwright’s naturalization had been closely monitored by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas as the federation hoped to make him available for Gilas Pilipinas.
However, the enactment of the law does not immediately complete Boatwright’s naturalization process.
He must still fulfill the required post-naturalization procedures, including taking his oath of allegiance and securing the necessary certificate from the Bureau of Immigration before he can proceed with his application for a Philippine passport.
The development comes too late for Boatwright to join Gilas in the upcoming Asian Games, with SBP chair Erika Dy previously saying that the mandatory publication period required before the Immigration can issue the naturalization certificate would prevent him from completing the process in time.
Boatwright was earlier included in Gilas’ initial pool for the 2026 Asian Games, but head coach Tim Cone subsequently ruled him out because his documents were not completed on schedule.
The Philippines is set to defend its men’s basketball gold medal in the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with the basketball tournament scheduled from Sept. 10 to 20.
Ramos, meanwhile, is a decorated wrestler with Filipino-Pangasinense roots. He made the decision to represent the Philippines in international competition after building a promising wrestling career in the United States.
Ramos was the runner-up in the 2023 NCAA Championships and became Purdue University’s 60th All-American. He was also a two-time NCAA qualifier and two-time Big Ten placewinner, finishing seventh in 2022 and third in 2023.
He captured the 2022 US Open title in the 57-kilogram division and reached the NCAA Round of 12 in the 133-pound category that same year. Earlier in his career, he won the 2018 Cadet World Championship in the 51-kilogram class.
Ramos was also a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association scholar and was ranked among the top wrestling recruits in the United States by FloWrestling, InterMat and The Open Mat.
The approval of the two naturalization measures formally moves both athletes closer to representing the Philippines in international competition, subject to the completion of the necessary legal and sporting requirements. (Adrian Co)
