No new PBA Commissioner yet, says outgoing Salud

PBA Commissioner Atty. Angelico T. Salud PBA IMAGE / Nuki Sabio

PBA’s search for its new commissioner isn’t done yet.

Outgoing Commissioner Chito Salud said on Thursday at the PBA Office in Libis that his office has yet to decide on his replacement as PBA’s top honcho.

He said that the PBA Board of Governors will convene once more on May 14 to choose his successor.

“The Board decided that they will assess and evaluate each one based on their presentation, background, track record, consult with their respective principals, and meet again and take the appropriate action,” he said.

Salud interviewed the four remaining applicants separately for the post to assess their capabilities, goals, and vision for Asia’s oldest professional basketball league.

READ: PBA to meet with 4 commish hopefuls

“The four gentlemen presented themselves to the Board, shared their insights with respect to the manner in which they will discharge the duties and function as the league commissioner. They presented their long term goals and why they are motivated to take on the challenge of the next league commissioner.”

SBP finance chair Ernesto Jay Adalem, FBA commissioner Vince Hizon, PBA operations chief Rickie Santos, and former PBA coach Chito Narvasa are the four men remaining that the Board will look into to replace Salud.

Salud said the four men talked “in a spontaneous presentation” with the Board, individually, for about 30 minutes where they laid out their plans in the occasion that they get the post.

He added that the meetings were “very friendly, very informal, not stiff at all.”

“They made a brief statement on how they envision the role of the Commissioner and how they intend to discharge the duties and the functions of the office and what motivates them to take on the challenge,” Salud said. “All four understood the intricacies of the job and the expectations of the team owners, the governors, the players, and the coaches.”

As a replacement to Salud, the new commissioner will be in charge of the PBA, the PBA D-League, and pretty much everything under the league.

PBA will have its new commissioner sit on the big chair on August 23, the day of the PBA Rookie Draft.

Salud, however, said that his replacement will be put into the intricacies of the job the moment he is named.

“I will make it a point to include him in the day-to-day operations of the PBA so that he will have a glimpse on how to work as commissioner.”

Salud, however, is zipped on who his replacement is.

“Anybody can get the position.”