The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) will be holding its elections for its top officials on Nov. 29. Mariano “Nonong” Araneta will be running for his third consecutive term as president.
Also running for PFF head is Ricardo “Ricky” Yanson, Jr., president of the Negros Occidental Football Association (Nofa). Ricky is a member of the PFF’s board of governors, and chair of the PFF’s youth and grassroots development programs.
Ricky announced his candidacy on Sept. 21 during the launching of the Mindanao Cup Under-12 age group tournament. At the time, Ricky said Nonong will be running as his vice president, with his ticket vowing a push for badly needed football development programs like more age-group tourneys.
But two weeks later, Nonong on Oct. 15 announced he will be running for reelection. Explaining his turnaround, the PFF incumbent head cited the need to protect RP football from in-fighting, since the Yanson family was in the midst of an ownership fight over the Ceres bus companies.
Ricky Yanson further explains his side of the issue:
“It was was not my idea to aim for the PFF’s top post. Rather, it was Nonong who last year first asked me to succeed him. After I agreed, Nonong informed the other FA heads in informal talks of the succession plan. Nonong had also introduced me to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as his successor during AFC conference trips to Malaysia and Qatar.
Prior to his September announcement, I met with Nonong on Sept. 11 at Canton Road Restaurant to ask him if he could already announce my candidacy. Nonong agreed, even joking that I should also campaign for his vice presidency.
Thus, I was shocked and saddened when Nonong made his announcement to run for re-election on Oct. 15. Still, I tried to reach out to him to work out a win-win solution for the sake of football. But after several meetings, Nonong finally spurned my overtures in a meeting held on Nov. 12.
Nonong did not have a valid reason for his turnaround, since the situation had not changed regarding the Yanson corporate dispute since Nonong gave his blessing on Sept. 11 for me to announce my candidacy.
The Yanson dispute is now up to the courts to decide, and, for the record, the issue had never come up within the football world, before the PFF elections.
I vow to conduct a high-road campaign, centered on more football development programs. This has resonated with the other FA heads who have seen my commitment, track record and vitality to make the sport more popular with Filipinos.
My Nofa is a model FA in terms of football development in Negros and the Visayas. Since I assumed as Nofa president in 2015, Nofa has founded the Dynamic Football League which holds regular tourneys for kids and amateur players. Nofa has staged its Bacolod-based Nofa Cup for Under-13 teams nationwide for four years now, with its last staging in July drawing 25 teams.
PSC Chair Butch Ramirez, during the launch of the Luzon Cup on Nov. 11, was moved by the zeal of the attending FAs to announce that the PSC will hold a new national tournament next year at the Rizal Football Stadium, featuring the champions of the Nofa, Mindanao and Luzon Cups.
Nonong earlier announced a new slew of age-group tournaments, which he pledged to come on line next year, with the entry of Qatar Airways as a sponsor for the Philippine Football League.
However, the announced new tournaments cannot hide the glaring lack of age-group tournaments and other development activities during Nonong’s nine-year incumbency.
It remains to be seen whether or not Nonong will follow through on his promises, what with the Qatar Airways contract signing and particulars, still up in the air.