SBP-BAP legal row puts RP five on hold

PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios put on hold yesterday the formation of the RP team for the 2009 FIBA Asia championship with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) engaged in a legal battle on which is the legitimate national federation in the country.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Antonio Eugenio ordered last week the SBP under president Manny Pangilinan to cease and desist from functioning as a national cage body, granting the petition filed by the BAP group of former Rep. Prospero Pichay and Rep. Luis Villafuerte.

SBP executive director Noli Eala has said they will appeal the Eugenio ruling that nullified the SBP election of officers last June 12 where Pangilinan was voted as president.

“We’re handcuffed by the court ruling. The PBA has never violated a court order and I don’t intend to violate one,” said Barrios.

“Prudence dictates we put on hold the formation of the national team starting with the naming of the coach. If we go on, the court might say ‘who ordered you so.’ Worse, we might be cited for contempt,” added Barrios. “Hopefully, this legal matter is resolved immediately.”

But the PBA chief made it clear that the PBA is not abandoning the SBP, remaining loyal to its cause.

Barrios, who has just returned from a two-week vacation in the United States, was to announce his choice as national coach on Oct. 1. The coach would be given the blanket authority to form his team vying for a slot in the 2010 World Championship in the regional qualifier set in September next year.

The PBA commissioner said he’s looking for one who could give undivided attention to the national team.

He didn’t mention the names of the candidates but said a big plus-factor is previous coaching experience — be as head coach or assistant coach — in international play. The PBA coaches who’ve been exposed in international stage are Tim Cone, Jong Uichico, Chot Reyes, Yeng Guiao and Binky Favis.

Barrios said he’s not giving weight on the win-loss records of the coaches in the recent PBA tourneys. “I’ve been part of the PBA participation in the national team endeavor from the time of coach Robert Jaworski (in 1990 Beijing Asiad) to the time of coach Jong Uichico (in 2002 Busan Asiad). The style of international game is far different from the PBA brand of play,” Barrios explained.

But Barrios insisted his hands are tied with the court ruling, and he’s hoping to avoid the experience gone through by coach Chot Reyes and his team in 2005 seeing their hard work and sacrifice go down the drain on the suspension of the BAP by the International Basketball Federation.

With the Philippines reinstated in the FIBA roster in late 2006, Reyes and his team crammed in training and eventually settled for ninth place in the FIBA-Asia championship last year in Tokushima.