Mission accomplished

When the SBP delegation left Manila to attend the three-day deliberations set by the FIBA special commission to look into allegations of non-compliance with the Bangkok Agreement last week, there were four things to accomplish in the mission to Geneva.

First was to get affirmation from FIBA that the SBP will remain its exclusive country affiliate.

Second was to secure a firm decision from FIBA on the so-called “charges” hurled by the BAP on the SBP.

Third was for the SBP leadership to resign if FIBA ruled a suspension on the Philippines.

And fourth was to stand firmly on its position as FIBA’s country affiliate without compromise.

“I think we accomplished all four,” said SBP executive director Noli Eala the other day. “The special commission’s decision to reaffirm the SBP’s authority as FIBA’s country affiliate established its respect for Philippine sports and gave importance to our presence in Geneva. The decision meant the commission recognized the ruling of the Philippines courts in establishing the validity and legitimacy of the SBP membership and elections. It also gave the SBP the go-signal to proceed with its various programs now in place. And finally, it showed a disappointment in the BAP’s no-show.”

Eala said the commission’s decision has wide-reaching implications on the SBP’s relationship with FIBA.

“I think this allows the Philippines greater access to FIBA, for the SBP to cement relations with the international federation,” he continued. “This also announces that our programs are on the right track as we are determined to make progress in our developmental goals. Finally, it will now be almost impossible for any group to challenge the SBP’s authority as we went through a thorough process of review before FIBA decided on our reaffirmation.”

* * *

For all intents and purposes, Eala said the BAP is now a dead entity as far as its hopes of regaining recognition as an NSA and FIBA country affiliate.

“It would be ridiculous for the BAP to revive its campaign to be reinstated under the circumstances,” continued Eala. “FIBA’s message was very clear. It would be a bad joke if the BAP tried to get another hearing. The affirmation, however, comes with a provision that we welcome, that FIBA will more closely monitor the SBP’s performance.”

Eala said the BAP was scheduled to make a presentation before the commission on the second day of deliberations but failed to show up. Instead, BAP secretary-general Graham Lim sent an email, purportedly signed by BAP chairman Rep. Luis Villafuerte, listing seven demands. Villafuerte also phoned from Manila requesting to speak to the commission in a teleconference call.

The letter said the BAP officials were denied Swiss visas for reasons they are not aware of. There was also a request to postpone the deliberations to August in Geneva or Hong Kong. The tenor of the letter seemed almost threatening – declaring that since the SBP had defied the terms of the Bangkok Agreement, the BAP should be given FIBA recognition and accreditation.

FIBA secretary-general emeritus Borislav Stankovic, who was part of the commission with former FIBA president Dr. Carl Men Ky Ching and legal counsel Ken Madsen, assigned a lawyer Dirk-Reiner Martens to speak with Villafuerte on the phone but qualified their discussion would be informal and not form part of the deliberations.

Martens spoke to Villafuerte for about 20 minutes. To show respect for Villafuerte, Martens reported the BAP chairman’s concerns to the commission. The concerns were the same issues submitted in the BAP position paper the week before.

Eala said from what he knew, the commission did not dignify Lim’s email with a reply. The letter did not even use a BAP letterhead and it was unclear if the contents were cleared with the BAP Board.

* * *

“I think the commission was visibly let down by the no-show,” said Eala. “It was pointed out that two BAP officials did not require visas to travel to Switzerland because of their government positions. In the same way, SBP chairman Gov. Oscar Moreno and POC chairman Rep. Monico Puentevella did not need visas to enter Switzerland. The so-called denial of visas was a flimsy excuse and I think Mr. Stankovic did not believe the reason the BAP claimed for not showing up. To top it all, the BAP issued seven demands.”

For the record, the seven demands were: Recognize the name BAP-SBP, register the BAP membership roster (of 67, only about 10 were validated) with a 50-50 split in Board composition, appoint the BAP nominee as chairman, appoint the BAP nominee as treasurer, appoint two vice-chairmen (one a BAP nominee, the other an SBP nominee), appoint a secretary-general (an SBP nominee) and deputy secretary-general (a BAP nominee) and eliminate the position of executive director.  

To be fair, Eala said the commission deliberated on the issues raised by the BAP in its position paper. The BAP accused the SBP of failing to comply with the terms of the Bangkok Agreement which was forged two years ago to ensure peace and harmony in Philippine basketball. The BAP claimed it has been marginalized by the SBP.

“The dice wasn’t loaded either way,” said Eala. “I don’t think there was any preconceived notion of how the commission would decide. The commission gave the BAP leeway even if they weren’t present. Maybe, it was a way to give the BAP the chance to speak out so they could be shut up for good.”

Eala said in the opening session, the SBP registered apprehension that Dr. Ching, a known BAP ally, would be a partial participant in the discussions. But Dr. Ching stressed that while admitting he knew Lim and POC official Go Teng Kok, he is primarily a staunch supporter of Philippine basketball.

“What I want is to fix the Philippine problem, that’s all,” said Dr. Ching. “I want the Philippines to be an Asian power once again. I was asked by FIBA to join the commission as an honorary president. I didn’t ask for the appointment. My wish is to restructure FIBA-Asia and bring in new blood.”

Dr. Ching said the current FIBA-Asia officials do not even represent their national basketball associations. He mentioned that FIBA-Asia will hold its first congress in over five years in March or April and anticipated major changes in the organization.