POC moves to resolve BAP feud

Philippine Olympi Committee president Celso Dayrit will meet today the warring factions within the Basketball Association of the Philippines in a bid to settle the brewing issue which has put members of the national basketball pool in the crossfire.

Former POC president Rene Cruz will preside over the meeting betweenFreddie Jalasco and Tiny Literal, the two figures contesting the BAP presidency.

Cruz, head of the POC’s five-man investigative committee tasked to look into problems concerning the different national sports associations, hopes to gather enough input that will help the committee settle the row.

Jalasco this week was named president of a grand BAP alliance which has Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat as chairman, MBA commissioner Ogie Narvasa as executive vice president, PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino as secretary-general and PBL commissioner Chino Trinidad as board member. Bernardino, in turn, appointed Ricky Palou as his representative.

Literal was "elected" BAP president last Jan. 17 by a group which includes Graham Lim, the long-time BAP Sec-Gen under Jalasco. That election was described by Jalasco as "illegal" because as far as the POC is concerned, he is still the rightful BAP president.

The formation of the grand alliance in the BAP wasdenounced by Literal’s group and members of the men’s and women’s national basketball pool and members of the basketball referees commission.