New body basically PBFI: Same dog, different collar

Should there be a new basketball body, it would be a mere duplication of the Philippine Basketball Federation, Inc. (PBFI).

This is because the constitution and by-laws being drafted by the sport’s stakeholders will be patterned after Basketball USA’s or the same model used by the PBFI, headed by Moying Martelino.

Representatives from the expelled Basketball Association of the Philippines, Philippine Basketball Association, Philippine Basketball League, National Collegiate Athletic Association and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines met last night at the Manila Hotel to discuss and work out details on the formation of the new cage body as part of the POC’s Memorandum of Understanding with FIBA, the sport’s world governing body.

Under the MoU, a new cage body in the country must be formed before March 31 and at the same time, all the stakeholders must be represented in the new group.

The BAP was represented by its president Joey Lina but there was no representation from the PBFI, which gained POC recognition through a General Assembly vote.

POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. yesterday briefed the PBFI and discussed the possibility of forming of a new association to replace it.