Search for PBA comish to intensify

PBA officer-in-charge Sonny Barrios said yesterday he will not extend his stay as interim commissioner beyond the end of the Philippine Cup conference and expressed confidence the Board of Governors will find a permanent replacement for Noli Eala before long.

Barrios said PBA chairman Tony Chua is convening the search committee after the All Saints Day break and will cast the mold to determine which of the available contenders fit.

Barrios said in last Tuesday’s Board meeting, Chua attempted to schedule a committee meeting the next day but some of the members had previous commitments. The committee is made up of Chua, immediate past PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, Lito Alvarez, Robert Non and Joaquin Trillo.

“If the Board won’t appoint a permanent commissioner by the time the conference ends, then there will be another OIC to replace me,” said Barrios.

Vargas said he expects the permanent commissioner to be named by Jan. 1.

It was during Vargas’ last Board meeting as chairman where Barrios was picked. The meeting took six hours.

“Maybe, there’s a David Stern out there waiting to be appointed,” said Vargas, referring to the NBA commissioner. “Seriously, I researched the backgrounds of several sports commissioners and I found the characteristics of an ideal commissioner to be – he must be a professional manager, a marketing guy and one who understands finance, loves the game and has high integrity.”

Vargas said the committee will set the standards for the new commissioner. But he didn’t hesitate to describe what he thinks the mold should look like.

“For one thing, he shouldn’t be afraid to lose his job,” said Vargas, senior vice president for the international and carrier business group and human resources group of PLDT. “He should do what is right. He should have no other ambition than to do his best as commissioner. He should not be overwhelmed by the public adulation and the power of his office. He shouldn’t be afraid to take risks. He should have a strong marketing sense with a lot of new ideas. He should be an innovator, trying out things even if they’re untested.”

An important factor is the ability to understand and manage the Board.

“The Board is composed of 10 men with different personalities, styles of doing things and interests,” said Vargas. “The commissioner must know how to facilitate the process of gathering a consensus, to create a culture among many cultures. He must gain the respect of the Board and that means coming with a high level of integrity.”

Vargas said the list of candidates includes Freddie Webb, Robert Jaworski, Chito Salud and Lambert Ramos.

“The commissioner is the face of the league and he will always be in the public eye,” he continued. “We’re not looking for a political leader. We’re looking for an inspiring leader who can deliver the league’s message to 20,000 people listening to him in the coliseum. He must almost be charismatic in nature without being abrasive or awed by his power.”

Vargas said if the plan to transform the PBA into a corporation materializes, the commissioner will become the president or chief operating officer with commissioners for marketing, finance and operations. The chairman will be the chief executive officer.

Vargas, whose grandfather Jorge was the Philippine Olympic Committee president from 1936 to 1955 and the first Filipino to become an International Olympic Committee member, was the PBA chairman last season when league income grew by 47% and gate receipts by 17%. He brought the PBA back in the pink of financial health and laid out a long-term vision that includes building its own coliseum, expansion and a transformation into a corporation.