Board accepts Salud resignation; Non tapped acting CEO

MANILA, Philippines – The PBA board of governors, in a special meeting yesterday, accepted the resignation of Chito Salud as PBA president-CEO, and appointed chairman Robert Non to take over the position in acting capacity.

“It’s normal in a corporation that the chairman assumes the presidency if it becomes vacant, but only in acting capacity until the board finds a new man for the position,” said Non.

The board chair said they tried to persuade Salud to reconsider, but he was firm in his decision to step down.

“I talked to him Tuesday asking him if he can stay on until the end of the season and, later on, until the end of the all-Filipino tourney. But he’s really decided,” said Non.

Talk n Text’s Patrick Gregorio, the league chairman who proposed the creation of the position of president-CEO under a new PBA structure, also tried to talk him out of leaving the league.

Others who tried in vain to dissuade Salud from pursuing his plan were Meralco’s Al Panlilio, Globalport’s Erick Arejola and PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial.

But even with the resignation of Salud, Non said the board is inclined to pursue the new setup where a commissioner runs the game while a president runs the business side of the league.

“It’s hard to gauge the result of the (Narvasa-Salud partnership) as it didn’t last a conference. We’ll know that maybe after a conference,” said Non.

Salud’s resignation takes effect at the end of December, then Non assumes the position on acting capacity.

Will the board push through with the plan to amend the by-laws to give a president-CEO an official mandate? “We will see, these are initial reactions to the plan,” said Non.

Non said they will surely have a hard time finding the man that will officially take over from Salud.

“We’ll be in search of a high-quality person as Salud set a high bar. Salud had a big contribution to the PBA from his entry in 2010,” said Non.

As the league’s eighth commissioner, Salud served five terms. Before the end of his fifth term, he was offered the position of president-CEO.