Lapid to meet POC, BAP to settle issue

Before resorting to a tedious Senate inquiry, Sen. Lito Lapid said he would try to mediate in the POC-BAP (Philippine Olympic Committee-Basketball Association of the Phils.) row and come up with a possible resolution that could hopefully pave the way for the lifting of the country’s suspension by the FIBA.

Lapid hopes to meet POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and BAP president Joey Lina next week in a bid to settle their differences. Otherwise, the Senator said he would be forced to conduct a full-blown investigation on the case as chairman of the Senate committee on games, amusements and sports.

Lapid made this statement after the RP women’s basketball team, with BAP official Cristy Ramos, paid him a visit at the Senate Wednesday to air their grievances.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, a member of the Senate committee, meanwhile, promised to make a privilege speech on the issue if the inquiry is not conducted soon.

Apparently, it was Estrada who endorsed the Senate probe in an effort to help resolve the controversy that has jeopardized the country’s participation in basketball in the SEA Games slated Nov. 27 to Dec. 5 here.

The FIBA suspended the Philippines from all FIBA-sanctioned tournaments in the aftermath of the POC-BAP dispute.

The POC, through its General Assembly, expelled the BAP and then recognized the newly-formed Philippine Basketball Federation, which formally applied for FIBA membership yesterday.

Meanwhile, the BAP, despite its expulsion by the POC, is set to name Michelle Lhuillier as its vice president for the Visayas today. Lhuillier is being groomed to be the new team manager of the BAP-run RP team.

Curiously, a relative in Jean Henri Lhuillier used to bankroll the national squad although he pulled out his sponsorship of the team at the height of the POC-BAP controversy.

Among the RP cagebelles’ grievances are the stoppage of financial support by the Philippine Sports Commission and their banishment from the Rizal Memorial Complex quarters. They were also barred from using all the facilities in the complex.

The team, under coach Raymond Celis, is now practicing twice a week at the La Salle Greenhills gym.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, herself an athlete being a former volleyball varsity player and now into duathlon, also promised to look into the team’s woes.