Estimo stresses NCFP ouster move unlawful

Embattled Samuel Estimo yesterday belied reports of his impending relief as secretary-general of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and instead charged that the "NCFP board meeting" held purportedly to ask him to go on-leave was unlawful.

"The meeting was unlawful because it was not called by Atty. Mat Defensor as the president nor by me as the sec-gen in accordance with the by-laws of the NCFP," said Estimo.

The seven-man NCFP board, led by chairman Andres Gatmaitan, vice president Arturo Carillo and executive director Casto Abundo, met last Thursday and approved a resolution asking Estimo to take a leave of absence while an investigation on his alleged mismanagement of NCFP affairs is going on.

But Estimo insisted that there was no quorum in that meeting and, therefore, no official resolutions or decisions could have been arrived at. In fact, Estimo said, it was Carillo who reminded the directors present not to proceed with further deliberations because of the absence of a quorum.

The NCFP has a total of 15 board members. Those who joined Gatmaitan, Carillo and Abundo in the Feb. 19 meeting were treasurer Antonio Marcaida, auditor Juanito Calidtaran, administrative manager Gene Poliarco and director Rey Sarmiento.

The other board members who were absent were Defensor, Estimo, Admiral Ruben Lista, Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Ed Suliman, Gen. Jaime Viernes and Boy Bolok Santos.

The last member, athletics chief Go Teng Kok, recently resigned from the board.

"I will stay put here dahil hindi naman ako p’wedeng palayasin basta-basta. They have to go to court to put me out of this office," he said.

Estimo added that he and GM Eugene Torre have prepared a statement refuting the allegations against them.

"We will now distribute the same to the NCFP directors who were maliciously misled by Abundo in his presentation of the facts in that meeting," said Estimo.