Lina insists POC violates Fiba pact

Basketball Association of the Philippines president Joey Lina yesterday cited certain violations by the Philippine Olympic Committee on the memorandum of understanding, which the latter signed with FIBA last September, and led to the formation of Pilipinas Basketball.

Pilipinas Basketball is poised to take over the BAP as the rightful basketball association in the country..

During the SCOOP sa Kamayan forum, the BAP president said the POC erred in insisting that the BAP no longer exists when in fact FIBA continues to recognize the group as its active member in good standing.

"The POC insists that the BAP no longer exists and will only deal with Mr. Joey Lina as an individual. No significance whatsoever was accorded to the BAP when in fact it is an indispensable party to solve the problem of basketball in the Philippines," said Lina in a letter he sent to FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann yesterday.

Under the MOU, which was supposed to help end the basketball impasse in the country, a new basketball federation in the Philippines must include "at least" the following as major stakeholders: PBA, PBL, UAAP, NCAA and Joey Lina.

"I am not a major stakeholder in Philippine basketball as an individual. But as BAP president, I am representing the oldest and biggest basketball constituency nationwide. To exclude the BAP from the very start of the unity talks goes against the very letter and spirit of the MOU, which calls for a policy inclusion rather than exclusion," Lina said.

The MOU, Lina added, also states that there has to be "a balanced and countrywide representation from all levels of the sport (including grassroots). This, too, has been brazenly violated by the POC as it formed a new federation (Pilipinas Basketball) of four major stakeholders concentrated only in one region of the Philippines, a country which consists of 17 regions."

Lina said the stakeholders, including himself, met four times and worked on the premise that POC and BAP should work out necessary changes in the BAP Charter, as it reapplies with the POC.

The stakeholders agreed that this is the easiest way out of the problem as compared to the first option of forming a new federation.

"After four working meetings using the second option, the POC leadership informed PBA commissioner Noli Eala that the second option was unacceptable. In the fifth meeting, which I failed to attend, the other four stakeholders had a change of heart and adopted the first option," Lina explained.

"The other stakeholders can change their mind but I cannot be a traitor to (the) BAP," Lina stressed.

Officials of the POC and representatives of the four major stakeholders will fly to Seoul, Korea on Monday to meet Baumann, and hopefully convince the latter that Pilipinas Basketball was formed under the conditions stated in the MOU.

Lina said the FIBA should therefore consider setting aside and rescinding the MOU "as soon as possible."

"We must not allow a National Olympic Committee to control and dictate on the life and movement of a FIBA member in good standing," said Lina who also reminded FIBA that the BAP now has 50 school, community and commercial organizations from all over the country as members.

"We are actively and smoothly implementing our grassroots basketball program," said Lina who also asked FIBA to consider lifting the suspension on the Philippines.