Eala steps down as PBA commish
Noli Eala, who rose from the ranks of broadcasting to become the top honcho of the country’s biggest sports entertainment industry, yesterday resigned as commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association in the aftermath of his disbarment by the Supreme Court.
“To ease the pain of the people who matter most to me, my family especially my children and to shield the league I truly care for with so much passion from any erroneous perceptions related to my disbarment case, I’m tendering my immediate resignation,” said Eala in a statement read before the media at the PBA office.
He was disbarred by the high court for “grossly immoral conduct.”
“It is a painful decision brought about by a painful personal circumstance but I have always believed that the PBA is bigger than any one man, one team, one player or one team owner,” Eala added.
Eala, 44, ended his statement by appealing that he be allowed to deal with his personal ordeal privately, then left his seat, returning back to his room followed by some staff members who were in tears.
He met with the PBA personnel a few hours earlier, bidding his farewell to them.
A former TV anchorman who succeeded the late Emilio “Jun” Bernardino as PBA take-charge guy at the end of the 2002 season, Eala said he’s leaving the PBA “cognizant and gratified that I have turned things around with the help of the PBA board, my hardworking staff and the greatest players any commissioner can ever have.”
He added: “The PBA has scaled new heights and reached new goals – financially stable, organizationally sound and still the biggest sports entertainment property of the
He quit his post in the PBA although he vowed to continue to pursue and exhaust all legal remedies in his disbarment case.
The Supreme Court, in a nine-page decision on Aug. 1, disbarred Eala due to a “grossly immoral conduct” that stemmed from an extramarital affair.
The PBA board held a special board meeting earlier in the day at
Red Bull, Sta. Lucia, Alaska Milk, Talk n Text, Coca-Cola and Air21 counted for the majority vote.
It was Eala’s first day in office following his return from
Eala had had big involvement in the RP team, playing a key role in the formation of the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, of which he became a trustee.
Before the end of the 2003 season, Eala proposed to the PBA board a new two-conference format which is now being enforced. The board also approved Eala’s plan to move the league calendar from February to December to October to July, which took effect in 2004.
Eala served as PBA commissioner for four seasons. He was the league’s sixth commissioner after Leo Prieto, Mariano Yenko, Rudy Salud, Ray Marquez and Bernardino.
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