Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. “958

Introduced by TGP Party-list Representative Jose “Bong” J. Teves, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Foreign-born and trained athletes have been contributing to the Olympic medal count of
many countries since as early as 1988 in a growing trend that blurs the national
boundaries of competition. These countries have been naturalizing foreign talents in order
to achieve a competitive advantage. The grant of citizenship to athletes is a recognition
of the value that nations place on medals.

In 2016, Congress granted former NBA player Andray Blatche Philippine citizenship,
expediting his eligibility for the qualifying rounds of the FIBA World Championships.
Blatche’s donning of the national colors was a key factor that enabled the Philippines to
secure a berth in the World Championships and restore the Philippines’ status in world
basketball.

Our country has little to zero participation in the Olympic sport of wrestling. We have no
wrestlers that can compete in the international level. While our country has a rich talent
pool for the sport, we have a severe lack of wrestling programs, technology and training
that could spur the development of the sport in the country. Wrestling has not gained
traction in the mainstream consciousness of Filipinos. As such, wrestling is an area where
foreign elite athletes can help because of the skills they have developed through decades
and centuries of cultured that valued the sport. One or two elite athletes can change the
possibility of the Philippines doing well in a non-traditional sport such as wrestling.

Mr. Egor Dmitriev, 27, is a talented and bemedalled freestyle wrestler from the Russian
Federation (Sakha Republic). He has placed in several events sanctioned by the United
World Wrestling (UWW), the governing body that oversees the sport of wrestling in the
Olympics and world championships. Some of Mr. Dmitriev’s notable accomplishments are
as follows:

YEAR | RANK | TOURNAMENT SITE

2016 we Zakharov Memorial Tournament. Yakutsk, Russia
2015 a Kemerovo Open Kemerovo, Russia
(2015 r Dogan Invitational _ Izmir, Turkey
[2015 ee Shakhtersky Tournament Minsk, Belarus

2014 Br Dmitriy Korkin International Yakutsk, Russia
2014 | 34 Russian University Nationals Smolensk, Russia



2012 Find Russian Regional Championship Braynsk, Russia
2010 ed Dmitiy Korkin International Yakutsk, Russia
2009 ize Skopie International Skopie, Macedonia

Dmitriev has expressed his desire to compete for the Philippine wrestling team should he
be granted citizenship. He has recently fulfilled UWW’s two-year non-compete policy for
switching nationalities. Given his accomplishments and coaching ability, granting Dmitriev
Philippine citizenship will be advantageous to our country both in the short-term and long-
term. As a competitor, our country can count on him to bring home medals from notable
events such as the World Championships and the Asian Games. As a coach, the sport of
wrestling in the Philippines will benefit from the transfer of technology ensuing from
Dmitriev’s deep knowledge, skills and wealth of experience in wrestling. At this time, Mr.
Dmitriev has already established good rapport with our national coaches and athletes,
and is currently in the Philippines by invitation, training with and coaching our national
wrestling team.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is fervently sought.

JOSE “BONG” J. TEVES, JR.
Representative, TGP Party-list


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 2968

Introduced by TGP Party-list Representative Jose “Bong” J. Teves, Jr.

AN ACT GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO EGOR DMITRIEV

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Grant of Philippine Citizenship. Mr. Egor Dmitiriev is hereby
granted Philippine citizenship with all the rights, privileges and prerogatives, as well as
the duties and obligations apartment thereto under the Constitution and the laws of the
Republic of the Philippines.

SECTION 2. Oath of Allegiance. After the taking by Mr. Egor Dmitriev of his
Oath of Allegiance before an officer duly authorized for this purpose, and the registration
of the same with the Bureau of Immigration, Mr. Egor Dmitriev shall enter upon the full
enjoyment of his Philippine citizenship.

SECTION 3. Certification of Naturalization. Upon registration of the Oath of
Allegiance, the Bureau of Immigration shall forthwith issue Mr. Egor Dmitriev’s Certificate
of Naturalization.

SECTION 4. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,