MANILA – Counterpart measures granting Spanish football player Bienvenido Marañón Morejón Filipino citizenship have been filed before the House of Representatives.
Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, Tingog Sinirangan partylist Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Manila 1st District Rep. Manuel Luis Lopez separately filed measures seeking to grant Marañon all the rights and privileges as well as the duties and obligations of a Filipino under the Constitution.
“In the five years that he has been playing football in the Philippines, (Marañón) has come to love the country and its people,” the Romualdez couple said in the explanatory note of their House Bill No. 7284.
“He engages himself in community work, collaborating with local football clubs in Sagay and Bacolod in Negros Occidental, Boracay in Aklan and in Metro Manila. He wants to inspire and encourage the Filipino youth to play the sport that saved him from drugs, alcohol and other bad habits,” the measure added.
Meanwhile, in House Bill No. 7427, Lopez cited Marañón’s exceptional skills complemented by his commendable work ethics.
“If granted the opportunity to play for the Philippines, Marañón will undoubtedly be an invaluable asset to the national football team, the Azkals, and bring pride and honor to our country. This will also be an opportunity on the part of Congress to contribute to the Philippines’ success in the global football arena,” Lopez said.
Marañón moved to the Philippines as part of Ceres-Negros FC on May 2015 and was instrumental in the club’s ascent as a powerhouse team in the Southeast Asia region with 61 goals and 20 assists in 99 appearances.
Marañón was also the top scorer of the Asian Football Confederation Cup in 2019, an annual continental club football competition participated in by 36 teams across Asia.
Negrense senator Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier filed a Senate bill which aims to grant Filipino citizenship on Marañón. The bill has been pending at the Senate committee on rules since March 3./PN
