Feliciano ‘shocked’ over Tommy’s ‘vague comments’

National Golf Association of the Philippines president Rod Feliciano said yesterday he was "shocked beyond belief" over "vague statements" made by Tommy Manotoc on the controversy surrounding the holding of NGAP elections on April 26.

Refuting Manotoc’s "statement" that he and Manotoc were both "holding conciliatory talks", Feliciano clarified that Manotoc had requested for a meeting, "which I had warmly acceded to, knowing Tommy to be a gentleman.

"They were not conciliatory meetings at all because I had not considered Tommy, and anyone for the matter, as my enemy. I met him because he requested for it."

Feliciano said Manotoc asked hs help in the latter’s bid for NGAP prsident.

"I told him I cannot make him president," said Feliciano, "I told him only by a majority vote by the 13-person board of NGAP directors can he become NGAP president."

Feliciano said he turned down Manotoc’s request to put four directors of the latter’s choice in the NGAP board because it would violated provisions of the NGAP constitution.

"I was surprised why he had to resort to that," Feliciano said. "Did he want me to fix the election, rig it or something? I am really surprised."

"What did he mean by (his statement) that his vision of unifying the diffirent ball clubs will no longer be possible," said Feliciano. "He has not been with the NGAP all these years and, suddenly, he has this vision of unification? He has done nothing for the NGAP except to vilify it the last five years–maybe more. I know that. People had been telling me that. Still, I relented and met up with him. Then he says things totally contrary to what we had talked about. And now here he is proclaiming himself as a visionary."

Feliciano also took exception to Manotoc’s stand against military courses.

"What’s wrong with our military courses vying for positions in the NGAP board? First, they are bonafide members of the NGAP. Second, the NGAP does not distinguish between a soldier and a civilian playing golf. We are all Filipinos here," Feliciano said.