INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Manny V. Pangilinan and the rest of the top leaders of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas will step down if this will rescue the country from another suspension by the Fiba (International Basketball Federation).

An emotional but resolute Pangilinan the other night said “national interest comes first,” even as he dismissed as a “moro-moro” (charade) the special commission the Fiba created recently to investigate a supposed “disarray” in Philipppine basketball.

He said they would hand the reins of local basketball to the discredited Basketball Association of the Philippines if the SBP is proven guilty of violating agreements and misguiding the national sports association.

‘Tell me what the charges are’

But first, Pangilinan stressed, the Fiba must tell the SBP where it went wrong.

“Tell me what the charges are so we can prepare for it,” he said. “Why don’t they (Fiba) make a prima facie case so they can go after us if they think we are guilty?”

The special commission is made up of Fiba secretary general emeritus Borislav Stankovic, legal counsel Ken Madsen and Carl Ching Meng-ky, the federation’s powerful honorary president who was denied permission to attend the 2004 Sydney Olympics due to Interpol allegations he was a top boss in the Hong Kong underworld.

Ching is a close friend of controversial BAP secretary general Graham Lim, the Taiwanese national who still lives in the country despite a Supreme Court decision junking his claim to Filipino citizenship and ordering his deportation.

Pangilinan reiterated that the creation of the commission “has no basis at all” and may have betrayed the Fiba’s real intentions.

‘Moro-moro’ timing suspect

“Let’s stop this moro-moro,” said the chair of Smart-PLDT. “I suspect the timing (of the suspension threat). If they are ready to make a decision, then talk to us. If they want us to go so that the Philippines doesn’t get suspended (from international competitions), we’ll go.

“I’ll be happy to quit and give it all to BAP. Let Fiba make the decision, but they must talk to us.”

A Fiba suspension will bar the PBA-backed Powerade-Team Pilipinas from joining, among other tournaments, the Fiba-Asia Championship slated Aug. 6 to 16 in Tianjin, China.

Pangilinan found it “strange” that, in ordering the creation of the special commission, Fiba secretary general Patrick Baumann listened only to BAP officials.

“The commission was created after Baumann met with BAP people in Hong Kong,” Pangilinan said. “I find it strange that Baumann had to travel all the way from Geneva to meet up with them.”

SBP vice chair Ricky Vargas was adamant the federation would not attend a Geneva meeting called by the special commission on July 20 to 22.

Vargas, SBP chair Gov. Oscar Moreno, executive director Noli Eala and Smart sports and special projects head Patrick Gregorio also attended the dinner hosted by Pangilinan.

The telecoms tycoon also disputed the BAP’s allegations that the SBP failed to correctly implement the so-called 2007 Bangkok Agreement which paved the way for the creation of the SBP-BAP.

“Contrary to BAP’s claim, Philippine basketball is not in disarray,” said Pangilinan. “All our programs are in place and our national teams are getting ready to compete. Where is the problem?”

He said that instead of SBP officials travelling to Geneva, Baumann could determine the exact state of Philippine basketball by sending a fact-finding team to Manila.

“(The fact-finding team can) talk to the stakeholders,” Pangilinan said. “Go to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). Check with our courts. Observe our programs.

“Why call us to a meeting in Geneva? We have reported to the Fiba so many times about our compliance. Philippine courts have said so. So why can’t Fiba accept this?”

Pangilinan said the Fiba must specifically say what they want.

“If they want to (recognize) the old group, they must say so,” he said.