Puyat stays as legitimate BAP head

The recent decision by the Court of Appeals nullifying Quintellano "Tiny" Literal’s election as BAP president has left Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat as the legitimate, rightful head of the local basketball body, and might soon force the FIBA to lift its suspension on the BAP simply because there’s nothing more to deliberate on.

"I think that’s what’s going to happen. The FIBA will lift the suspension and our country will be allowed to compete in the basketball competitions in the coming SEA Games," said Freddie Jalasco, the former BAP president who will serve as chief of mission of the RP delegation to the Kuala Lumpur Games set to start Sept. 8.

Jalasco said the FIBA suspension order, which was handed down last June 22, was based on two grounds - that the two persons (Puyat and Literal) are performing the same functions as BAP president, and that the leadership dispute that actually started last December, has reached the courts.

"Now that the Court of Appeals has decided that Literal’s election was illegal, it only means one thing... that Mr. Puyat is the legitimate head of the BAP and that the POC’s recognition of his group cannot be interfered with by the courts. So, what’s there for the FIBA or the International Olympic Committee to arbitrate on?" Jalasco said.

Under the law, Literal’s group has 15 days upon receipt of the Court of Appeals decision to file its own appeal before the Supreme Court. — Abac Cordero