P2.2-M Glutaphos chess on sans NCFP

Pascual Laboratories, makers of brain food vitamin Glutaphos, yesterday said it will push through with the staging of the Glutaphos Chess Grand Prix next month even without the sanction of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

Pascual Lab marketing director Nick Lansang Jr. and Glutaphos product manager Princess Pascual-Fernando announced the company’s decision to the NCFP in a letter last week in reply to the NCFP’s order that the rich event should be sanctioned by the chess body.

"We are formally informing you that we will press forward with the sponsorship of the Glutaphos Chess Grand Prix even without the involvement of the NCFP," said the two officials.

"Please understand that we have already spent considerable time and effort in trying to establish a working cooperation between the PCF and the NCFP at least for this tournament," they added.

The NCFP, headed by Grandmaster Eugene Torre, has ordered the Pascual Lab and the organizing Philippine Chess Federation to get sanction from the NCFP. The NCFP also sought to tap its own arbiter to supervise the event and demand that media releases of the event should specify that it is sanctioned by the NCFP.

When it failed to get the nod of the Pascual Lab officials, the NCFP brought its complaint to the Department of Interior and Local Government, which has been coordinating with the PCF in the staging of the event, including the nationwide qualifying tournaments,

Torre has claimed DILG Secretary Joey Lina remained undecided whether it will continue supporting the event despite the lack of involvement by the NCFP.

Torre was referring to the DILG Memorandum Circular 2001-24, encouraging all local chief executives to extend support in the conduct of selection tournaments and other related activities by the Glutaphos Grand Prix, set to start on July 7 in Bacolod City. — Joey Villar