POC holds key to RP cage impasse

It’s POC’s call, not the PSC’s.

This was the statement issued by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Eric Buhain yesterday regarding the running dispute between the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) and the Basketball Association of the Philippines, Inc. (BAPI).

Speaking at the weekly PSA Forum at the Manila Pavillion, Buhain said the POC, under Celso Dayrit, must come up with a final decision on which is the country’s rightful governing body in basketball.

"We’d rather respect the POC decision regarding this matter," said Buhain during the weekly forum sponsored by Red Bull, Agfa and Pagcor.

"Hopefully, the POC could be able to make a wise, decisive and final decision on this. The PSC will only step in if and when we feel that the athletes are being affected. I think the POC is capable of making a decision," Buhain said.

The former swimming sensation said under the law, the PSC is only the government’s funding arm in sports and that it will only fund national sports associations (NSAs) duly recognized by the POC-whether as regular or associate member.

"Clearly, it’s not the PSC that should decide on which is the rightful basketball body–the BAP or BAPI. It’s the POC that should make the decision soon. Then we will have to respect that. The POC is the key," said Buhain.

The BAP, under Tiny Literal, is banking on the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) recognition while the BAPI, under Nic Jorge, is leaning on a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration and a recent court order.

The POC, as it is, continues to recognize the BAP, although Dayrit has yet to come up with a more definite answer than the usual, "we’ll-look-into-it" response.

An official statement from the POC could settle the issue once and for all.

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) was recently caught in the crossfire, not knowing which group it really has to deal with regarding the formation of the national team that will see action in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

"We’re confused just as everybody else," said PBA chairman Buddy Encarnado the other day.

Also awaiting a similar move from the POC is the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil), which has a leadership dispute to settle.

Manila Rep. Harry Angping stands as the rightful Asaphil president although it is being questioned by another group that has Antonio del Monte as its own president. It was Angping’s group that hosted the recent Asian Softball Championship at the Rizal Stadium with support coming from the PSC.

Late last year, Dayrit said the POC would settle the Asaphil issue right after the Vietnam SEA Games last December and that the matter was already being taken up by the POC."