“I AM A sports teacher for over 50 years and a sports teacher cannot teach without teaching values,” said Dr. Aparicio Mequi, who’s leading a crusade against what he called “terrorist threat in Philippine basketball.”
Dr. Mequi said that his lonely fight against the disgraced Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) is known to particular people who are subjects of his crusade.
He explained: “I have my position sent through e-mails to Sen. Trillanes himself, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Sonny Barrios, Pato Gregorio, Joe Lipa who used BAP officials in the PCCL eliminations, Ricky Vargas and, would you believe, MVP himself?”
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What’s the purpose of your crusade, sir?
“I have children and young people in sports leagues I am staging. How will I answer them if perchance they ask why I allow BAP officials to officiate in basketball games.”
What do you want to happen, sir?
“With our country bidding furiously to host the World Cup of basketball in 2016, we must get rid of this anomaly called BAP in our country’s sport of basketball. Nakakahiya, it’s a real shame.”
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What’s the core theme of your campaign, sir?
“Our campaign, to my mind, is a patriotic act to save our young people and preserve their passion for basketball. Patriots and reformers are often perceived as undesirable ‘self-righteous’ dogs of war. But we have to do the job, because it needs to be done and nobody else wants or cares to do it.”
What’s your main motive, sir?
“The bidding for the World Cup of basketball is the time for peace. That’s our motive. We want peace in Philippine basketball.”
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So whatever happened to your appeal to the SBP, and its president, Manny V. Pangilinan?
“MVP had himself told me that the ‘BAP is a terrorist threat to PH basketball’ which was very encouraging. I was also briefly happy after young Turks offered to join me in the campaign. But after the SBP held a mancon meeting to discuss my concern, everybody stopped talking to me.”
Your ultimate call, sir?
“There must be an end to this impunity inflicted by the BAP, headed by Sen. Trillanes, on PH basketball. The climax we all want to see is MVP and Sonny Trillanes shaking hands and signifying the end of the SBP-BAP controversy. Sports is peace.”