Nat’l football head Martinez faces falsification charges

Philippine Football Federation president Jose Mari Martinez is facing charges for two counts of falsification of public documents for adding the name of a PFF “managing consultant” as one of the signatories in the federation’s bank accounts without the approval of the board. The case was filed before the Office of the Prosecutor in Pasig City last Sept. 24 by board members Richard  Montayre and Dick Emperado, heads of the Cebu Football Association and Negros Oriental Football Association, respectively. Montayre said they were surprised to learn of the existence of two notarized secretary’s certificates submitted to banks, where PFF has accounts, that did not have the PFF board’s approval. The first certificate, signed by former secretary general Cyril Dofitas, showed that the PFF board, in a meeting at the  Leyte Park Hotel in November 2009, had approved to add the signatory of PFF managing consultant Henry Tsai in the bank accounts of the federation. Martinez and PFF treasurer Antonio Marty were originally the only approved signatories of the account. Montayre said he was present during the meeting and that the move to add the signatory of Tsai to the bank accounts was never discussed. Martinez again submitted another secretary’s certificate to the banks in July, removing Tsai’s name as a signatory. The certificate, signed by PFF general secretary Ramon Manuel, indicated that the board had approved the move in a June 19 meeting. Montayre, however, said no meeting took place on that date. Montayre claimed that Martinez, by himself, was able to withdraw and disburse funds belonging to the federation without the approval of the board. The PFF is one of the richest national sports associations, getting a $250,000 annual aid from the Federation Internationale de Football (Fifa).