The PBA board of governors passed a resolution turning its back on the MOA in a side meeting in its two-day long-term planning session at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu.
In the same meeting, the board made it clear that Air21’s Lito Alvarez sits on the BAP board on a personal capacity.
"This is to dramatize PBA’s full support to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and the unity effort. It also settles once and for all the claim by BAP that the PBA supports them. Yun lagi ang sinasabi nila sa FIBA," said PBA commissioner Noli Eala.
"This statement also left no one to say the PBA is still undecided. The PBA is fully behind SBP. We have absolutely no more ties with the BAP," Eala added.
The pro league entered into an agreement with the BAP in 2004, agreeing to take care of the country’s participation in international tournaments above Southeast Asian level.
The agreement, however, has been superseded by the Tokyo Accord whereby the BAP and Pilipinas Basketball agreed to merge into one unified group.
Eala was witness in the joint communiqué signed by then BAP top honchos Joey Lina and Michel Lhuillier, and Pilipinas Basketball’s Bernie Atienza in the presence of FIBA officials.
On Alvarez’s continuous membership with the BAP, the board, according to Eala, "made it clear not even that should be used as indication in whatever manner that we still have relationship with the BAP."
Alvarez has just been reelected BAP deputy secretary general. Reports also said he was the one who urged Go Teng Kok to accept the BAP presidency. On its long-term planning, the board agreed to take concrete steps towards the completion of its coliseum project.
A project oversight committee was formed tasked to provide the board full comprehensive feasibility study in its next meeting in March.
Composed of Eala and board members Ely Capacio (San Miguel), Buddy Encarnado (Sta. Lucia) and Hector Guballa (Coca-Cola), the oversight committee has three sub-committees in design and site selection, tax and legal and finance.
The three sub committees will make their own studies to be submitted to the oversight committee.
In another development, the league has accepted invitation to stage one official game in Dubai during the second conference.