PFF head gains reprieve via own vote

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Jose Mari Martinez barely staved off an attempt by the Board of Governors to file a resolution for his ouster before the coming National Congress and broke a 5-5 tie with his own vote in a stormy meeting in Pasig last Friday.

Martinez claimed his prerogative to settle a deadlock after the Board failed to resolve the issue of whether or not to submit a proposal for his ouster in the Congress. Voting to thumb down the resolution were Leo Arnaiz of Baguio, Joe Reliva of Camarines Norte, Rene Casmod of Tagum, Glenn Caricativo of Tarlac and Flaviano Fucoy of Pagadian. Supporting the motion to push for Martinez’ ouster were Mariano Araneta of Iloilo, Dick Emperado of Dumaguete, Richard Montayre of Cebu, Jose Luis Carpio of Naga and Mayor Joselito Pinol of M’lang, North Cotabato. Absent in the meeting were Charlie Cojuangco of Negros Occidental and Ramon Manulas of Bukidnon.

Araneta filed the motion in view of an audit report turned in by accountant Tereso Campos certifying that from September 2009 to June 2010, a certain Henry Tsai had an accountability of P3.7 million and $44,373 to the organization. The report detailed transactions where Martinez appeared to use PFF funds for personal purposes, including payment for credit card charges, cell phone bills and hospitalization.

Martinez has been stripped of signing authority in PFF’s bank accounts because of alleged irregularities but after proposing to step down this month, changed his mind and will now cast his fate before the Congress made up of heads of 32 provincial football associations. The Congress will be convened on Nov. 27 unless Martinez himself decides to postpone or cancel it in violation of the PFF By-Laws. Araneta and general-secretary Chito Manuel are now the only authorized signatories for PFF’s bank accounts.

Araneta said the PFF president has the right to vote and break a tie on a motion before the Board. In last Friday’s meeting, Martinez exercised his right to vote and rejected a resolution to propose his ouster in the coming Congress.

At the moment, Martinez is under fire from two Board members, Montayre and Emperado, who filed a case in court alleging that he falsified public documents in relation to designating Tsai as a PFF bank signatory, purportedly with Board approval. Araneta said in light of the recently concluded audit report, a criminal case for estafa may also be filed against Martinez particularly as there are missing funds in the PFF coffers. He added that even as the motion to push for Martinez’ ouster was scuttled, it will not prevent the presentation of the audit report at the Congress.

While the audit report cited Tsai as owing the PFF, he in turn filed a demand for Martinez to pay him P1.5 Million through a letter signed by lawyers Luis Meinrado Pangulayan and Jo Paul Gatapia. Tsai supposedly rents a space in the PFF building at P40,000 a month and the audit report noted that he has not paid for 10 months.

Araneta said Martinez has proposed the sale of a Tagaytay property owned by Centerpoint Property Development, identified as Campoverde Estates, worth about P5 Million to cover for the missing funds. Araneta later found out that Centerpoint is not registered with the SEC and a cease-and-desist order has been issued to prevent the passage of ownership of the property which was apparently used as security for the missing funds.

Araneta said it will take a 2/3 vote in the PFF Congress to oust Martinez.

An item in the audit report that raised eyebrows was a P302,680 payment for the airfare of the Philippine team to Taiwan for the interport competitions last January. It was found out that team sponsor Dan Palami paid for the airfare and turned in his receipt to the PFF for reimbursement but the amount remains unsettled, raising questions as to whom the payment was made. There were also payments made to a company, G-World, in the amount of over P200,000 for a TV show. Nobody claims to know who are the G-World principals.

The report listed a summary of transactions related to Martinez from January to August this year and the amount reached P1.7 Million, including payment for his travel, medical bills, credit card charges and cell phone usage.