A highly-reliable source from the PBFI yesterday said it seems that all’s not well within the group which was supposed to hold an election last Thursday but was reset to a later date.
The source who requested anonymity said there’s some sort of divisiveness among PBFI members as to whom they would install as president.
There are six stakeholders in the PBFI and they come from the Philippine Basketball Association, Philippine Basketball League, Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines, National Collegiate Association of the Philippines, Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines and Milo BEST.
There are three other incorporators. They are former Asian Basketball Confederation secretary-general Moying Martelino, Philippine Olympic Committee spokesman Joey Romasanta and Philippine Badminton Association vice president retired police Gen. Eduardo Aglipay, also a POC member.
Chito Narvasa, president of the coaches association, is being groomed as PBFI president.
"Dapat solid na solid ang PBFI para maipakita na desidido sa pag-takeover ng BAP. Otherwise, paano ito ire-recognize ng POC at lalo na ng FIBA (International Basketball Federation)?" said the source.
"Ano na lang ang sasabihin ni Peping Cojuangco pag uwi niya from the US? Na magulo pala sa PBFI?" he added, referring to the POC president who is scheduled to arrive tomorrow from a four-week stay in the US.
The POC General Assembly will convene on June 30 with the BAP expulsion on top of the agenda. The POC needs 30 of the 39 votes of its members to expel the BAP, which is slowly but surely gaining ground in its battle for existence.
The source said the failure to come up with a common candidate was the main reason why the PBFI election was called off — and not the failure of the stakeholders to present the needed authorization from their mother units for them to join the exercise. — Abac Cordero