PBA begins search for next commish

MANILA, Philippines — Lawyers Ariel Magno, Rebo Saguisag and Charlie Cuna were among the names casually mentioned as the possible succcessor of resigned PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa.

Magno had served as alternate board representative of the defunct Sta. Lucia Realty ballclub, Saguisag has been the UAAP commissioner the last three years while Cuna is a topnotch PBA TV panelist.

Cuna was among those in the short lidt for the post that went to Narvasa. The young lawyer, however, declined his nomination.

A good number of PBA governors prefer a lawyer to be the successor of Narvasa. Rudy Salud, Noli Eala and Chito Salud are lawyers who have taken the rein of the country’s premier cage league.

The PBA board will soon run a search for the next PBA commissioner after Leo Prieto, Mariano Yenko, Rudy Salud, Rey Marquez, Jun Bernardino, Eala, Sonny Barrios, Chito Salud and Narvasa.

“The rule remains the same. The next commissioner needs two-thirds vote of the board,” said Barangay Ginebra board representative Alfrancis Chua.

The magic number is eight – which no group reached in the contentious issue on Narvasa’s tenure.

But in the end, a compromise was made, paving the way for the resolution of the issue, with Narvasa tendering his resignation, TNT KaTropa’s Ricky Vargas reassuming the league chairmanship and Willy Marcial appointed OIC who will run the affairs of the league upon Narvasa’s exit on Dec. 31.

Vargas said the board made amends with Narvasa, and the latter agreed to stay on for the rest of the year to help the league during the transition period.

“The problem is whether we can get a good commissioner,” said a board member, convinced they could have handled more prudently their issues with their past commissioners.

Observers believe revisiting the PBA constitution could lead to a better relationship between the commisioner and the board.

“Give the commissioner a fixed term – three to five. At walang magrereklamo sa mga desisyon niya,( and nobody will question his decision)” a former PBA commissioner said.

Due to the  standoff that dominated the news in the run-up to the inaugurals, the gates suffered in the season opener featuring the SMB-Phoenix Petroleum game.

The two teams played before a sparse crowd where the Beermen smothered the Fuel Masters, 104-96, for a triumphant start in their Philippine Cup four-peat quest.