Pro-Narvasa bloc urges rest of PBA board to settle impasse

MANILA, Philippines — The San Miguel Corporation bloc of the PBA and its allied teams Kia and GlobalPort on Friday collectively issued a plea for the other members of the board on the stalemate concerning commissioner Chito Narvasa's post.

In a statement issued, the five-team coalition is reaching out to the involved parties “to maintain the integrity of the PBA and to protect the interest of fans nationwide.”

“[W]e appeal to the other members of the board to refrain from issuing any statement, making further comments, assumptions and judgments until after we deliberate on, and settle, this standoff,” the dispatch added.

The adjuration came a day after a whirlwind of developments on fate of the embattled league commissioner. On Thursday noon, seven team governors convened in a special board meeting and drew up a resolution deciding to not to extend Narvasa’s term for the upcoming season and putting deputy commissioner Rickie Santos in the former’s stead.

On the same day, the under-fire executive held a separate presser addressing the other board members’ supposed “power play.”

Narvasa’s point of contention was that a two-thirds vote (or eight of the 12 teams’ nod) — is required to unseat him as the commissioner. The same rule applies with regards to his contract.

"Ang akin lang dito, I hope the board could determine really what is the right procedure so they can come up with a right decision,” he said.

It is imperative, the SMC bloc statement added, that the board "resolve this impasse as a collegial body, not as individuals.”

"We reiterate that we are doing this to protect the league we all love, the game of basketball and the millions of fans who continue to support us,” the statement furthered.

"We still believe we are capable of being better- as a group. We will do all we can not to allow this body to succumb to politicking and abandon basic human decency,” it closed. — Denison Rey A. Dalupang