Peping gets ‘full power’ on cage row

The Philippine Olympic Committee executive board yesterday granted POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco the blanket authority to resolve the controversy in the Basketball Association of the Philippines and put back on track the country’s preparations in two key international competitions this year.

"I have been given the free hand to decide. The decision (of the POC) will depend on their explanation. It’s all up to them (BAP)," Cojuangco said yesterday after presiding over the meeting at Milky Way Café on Pasay Road in Makati.

Cojuangco the other day issued a letter to the BAP, addressed to BAP president Tiny Literal, asking for an explanation on why it backtracked on its earlier commitment supporting Cojuangco’s initiative as forged in two basketball summits of the major stakeholders in RP basketball.

The BAP was given 72 hours or three days to explain, in writing, why it shouldn’t be meted heavy sanctions. Otherwise, Cojuangco said the POC can go as far as withdrawing its recognition of the BAP as the national sports association (NSA) for basketball.

It was a unanimous resolution, according to POC spokesman Joey Romasanta, with the executive board convinced that the country’s highest governing sports body should take a tough stand against the BAP leaders for their adversarial position.

However, former POC chief Julian Malonso warned the current POC dispensation, saying since the BAP is the recognized body of the FIBA in the Philippines, the most that the POC can do is to recommend the suspension of the BAP to the FIBA if it violates the rules.

"It is the inherent power of the BAP to select the coach and players, which even the BAP cannot delegate to the POC," said Malonso. "If the POC insists to form the national cage team it will be encroaching in the autonomy of the BAP."

But Romasanta said that the BAP, as a regular member, is answerable to the POC for its conduct and declarations more so that the issue at hand is national interest and not autonomy.

During the executive board meeting, POC chairman Robert Aventajado bared that BAP sec-gen Graham Lim called him requesting that he (Aventajado) mediate for the beleaguered association.

Aventajado, however, told Lim that he would only meet him officially if the BAP is ready to submit its response to the POC letter last Monday. He added that the BAP official assured him that the response letter would be submitted to him by tomorrow.

Romasanta said the BAP only got hold of Cojuangco’s letter at 1:05 p.m. yesterday.

Cojuangco expressed shock over the sudden change of heart by the BAP last Monday where it insisted that it (BAP) remains the sole body tasked to form and train the national team in the SEABA and SEA Games.

"I am just wondering why and what are the reasons behind the sudden change of decisions," said Cojuangco. "I really don’t understand because during the two meetings held last month, we were all there shaking hands and posing for pictures."

In his letter to Literal, Cojuangco said the POC will have no choice but to withdraw recognition of the BAP if it fails to justify the decision to make contrasting statements on the national team’s formation.

Although Cojuangco vowed to exhaust all means to reach an amicable solution to the problem, he stressed that withdrawing recognition on the BAP isn’t a threat but a real thing.

"I will exhaust all remedies to reach a very amicable solution to the problem. I won’t allow things hanging up in the air. This is not the way it should be handled. (But withdrawing recognition on the BAP) is not a threat. It is real," said Cojuangco, adding that time is running out for the country.

The SEABA meet, set in Singapore June 20-26 , is the qualifying tournament for the ABC Championships in September in Doha, Qatar.