Greg Slaughter has submitted all the documents necessary to allow him to suit up as a local player for the Philippines in FIBA tournaments.
"I got the documents from my parents right away and we sent those over," the Filipino-American big man said Tuesday.
Slaughter, who last represented the country in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games, is hopeful that the international basketball federation will come up with a favorable decision in time for the upcoming fourth window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
"It's up to the management and FIBA now, but I think I should be able to play," he said. "I've been in the Philippines basically my whole life. I was even baptized in Cebu as a baby. I've been living here 11 years now, studied here, and played in tournaments with the national team. Hopefully, it will come back with a favorable response."
With Slaughter's eligibility still up in the air, national coach Yeng Guiao cannot decide yet on the final lineup that will compete in the game against Iran in Tehran on September 13.
Should Slaughter be cleared to play, the last spot for a naturalized player go to either Christian Standhardinger or Stanley Pringle. The team's need for additional size will also be dependent on Slaughter's situation.
"I don't want to reveal the lineup until we are certain about Greg's status because that would change everything," said Guiao. "Now that [the documents are] already submitted, we can no longer do anything except wait. We're not really sure when they will make that final decision or approval."
As of now, naming the 12-man lineup is the least of Guiao's concerns as he's more focused on making the most out of Gilas Pilipinas' remaining days of practice.
The team will take a day off on Wednesday to give way for the players' games with their PBA teams before resuming daily training sessions until September 10 when they leave for Iran.
"Half the team already knows the system and the plays" he said, referring to the eight players -- Standhardinger, Pringle, Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood, Poy Erram, Beau Belga, Raymond Almazan, and Asi Taulava -- that played on the team that finished fifth at the Asian Games.
Joining Slaughter as new additions are Scottie Thompson, Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot, Ian Sangalang, Japeth Aguilar, Matthew Wright, and Allein Maliksi.
"We still have five days for the rest of the team to get a grasp of the system and absorb it," said Guiao. "We're cramming again, but with the IQ of these guys, I think it's very possible that we can catch up."