FIBA lifts BAP suspension

The International Basketball Association (FIBA) last night lifted its suspension on the Basketball Association of the Philippines after Quintellano "Tiny" Literal was unanimously elected BAP president at the Mayon Room of the Century Park Hotel in Malate.

"Now we know who can best represent basketball in this country. We recognize the result of this election process and the FIBA has decided to lift the suspension immediately," said FIBA deputy secretary-general Patrick Baumann in announcing Literal’s election.

The lifting of the suspension, which was handed down by the FIBA last June 22 after the two warring factions — the other one led by Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat — failed to settle the issue internally, means that the country can now send a basketball team to this week’s SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.

But the Puyat faction decided to boycott the elections since it said it wasn’t given its "day in court"and maintained that it is the duly-recognized body by the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Twenty-one of the 35-man electorate that was approved by the POC last Feb. 23 were present during the elections, each one of them casting their vote in favor of Literal. The elections took place after almost four hours of discussions among Baumann, Asian Basketball Confederation president Carl Ching, his Sec-Gen Yeoh Choo Hock, Literal and Puyat’s representative, Moying Martelino.

"We met in a bid to find a solution that would have made us decide not to mediate and push through with the elections, but much to our regret, we did not find a solution, and much to our regret, too, Mr. Puyat did not come. We would have loved to hear it from him, but unfortunately, Mr. Puyat did not come," explained Baumann.

In his victory speech, Literal thanked his supporters for rallying behind him during the dispute that actually started last December when the BAP board ousted Freddie Jalasco as president. "I also invite Mr. Puyat and his group to support me in managing the affairs of the BAP," he said.

Saying that the POC resolution of their group is above anything else, Martelino said they have decided against joining the elections because they were not given "their day in court" by the FIBA.

"The FIBA said they will come over and hear both sides before making a decision on whether to make a final decision or call for an election. But even before they came here, the FIBA had already decided to hold an election. Our group does not agree to this," said Martelino, the vice president for operations of the Puyat group who was accompanied by their secretary- general Nic Jorge.

"The bottomline is that we are not surrendering our sovereignty and authority over the BAP. We are not going to compromise our authority here. This is now beyond basketball, and as far as we’re concerned, we are the federation being recognized by the POC and the law," Martelino added.

Martelino cited five reasons why the FIBA should not have over held the elections. On top of their list was the recent decision by the Court of Appeals upholding the legitimacy of the Puyat group, and the autonomy of the POC in handling and settling local sports disputes.

"Obviously, his FIBA has sacrificed due process over what it sees as a quick-fix (solutions) nothwithstanding the significant and unresolved issues concerning the proposed elections," Puyat said in a letter distributed by Martelino to the media before the elections took place.

Martelino said that the Court of Appeals decision and the POC’s recognition of their group should have been enough ground for the FIBA suspension to be uplifted.