Puyat assures elections will be ‘clean, fair’

The basketball elections on June 7 will be clean and fair and conducted in accordance with the association’s original constitution and by-laws.

Former Basketball Association of the Philippines president Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat II gave this assurance yesterday to allay fears of the breakaway group led by Quintellano "Tiny" Literal it would not get a fair shake in the Philippine Olympic Committee-sanctioned elections set at the Manila Bank Penthouse in Makati.

"Contrary to Literal’s claims, every (BAP) director who voted in February 2000 when (Freddie) Jalasco and myself were elected to a four-year term by acclamation will participate in the elections," Puyat said.

The group of Literal, however, questioned Puyat’s pledge for clean, orderly and honest elections, since the venue, the Manila Bank Building in Makati, is owned by the Puyat group.

"If they are really for honest and fair elections, bakit ayaw niya gawin sa neutral venue," said Graham Lim, BAP secretary general, who was speaking on behalf of Literal.

"If Mr. Puyat is really sincere he should hold it in a venue like the POC where the press could cover it,’’ said Lim.

In a resolution dated March 28, 2001, the POC ordered the BAP group headed by Jalasco to conduct elections not later than June 30 this year using the same electorate that voted Jalasco and Puyat into office in February 2000.

Puyat appealed to Literal to help end the basketball problem by "submitting himself to a legitimate election rather than keep mouthing lies."

"Literal claimed he was elected overwhelmingly four times by (BAP) directors," Puyat said. "But we all know that these elections were illegal and held not in accordance with our constitution and by-laws. Now that a legal election has been scheduled, Literal should participate instead of questioning the venue and seeking a court order to stop the election."

Only two positions will be at stake during the June 7 polls – the chairmanship and the presidency. Puyat is seeking the presidency he has yielded to Jalasco in 1995.

Puyat recalled that since former BAP secretary general Graham Lim illegally called the first of four elections last Dec. 22, the country’s amateur basketball program has suffered a big blackeye.

"The POC Arbitration Commission tried to settle the problem by calling the parties concerned (Jalasco and Literal) to a meeting. Both parties submitted their respective position papers and agreed to abide by the (AC’s) decision. But after the POC declared Literal’s election illegal and continued to recognize Jalasco, Literal went to court and sued the POC," Puyat explained.

Puyat warned that by going to court, the Literal camp has risked the possible withdrawal of International Olympic Committee recognition from the POC "for direct government intervention."