What’s in a name?

The Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) is insisting to stay alive and be reinstated as a National Sports Association (NSA) by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) General Assembly because of its 70-year-old tradition and its continuing recognition as a country affiliate or national federation by FIBA (Federation Internationale de Basketball).

But it’s a little too late in the game to backtrack from what the BAP itself agreed to undertake in a joint communiqué signed in Tokyo before POC and FIBA officials. In the communiqué, the BAP and Pilipinas Basketball (PB) committed "to merge and unite for the sake of basketball and the basketball-adoring Filipino people into a single united basketball organization that will seek membership with the POC and eventually take over the membership of BAP in FIBA."

When BAP president Sen. Jinggoy Estrada affirmed his commitment to abide by the terms of the Tokyo communiqué in a meeting with Philippine Long Distance Tel. Co. (PLDT) chairman Manny Pangilinan in Hong Kong three days before Christmas, he knew the decision wouldn’t be popular with the BAP hardliners.

And so last Saturday, the BAP executive board ousted Estrada as president and declared the position vacant. The BAP executioners claimed Estrada acted on his own in affirming his commitment and the decision went against the organization’s best interest.

In the Hong Kong meeting, Estrada also agreed to become chairman of the unified body, the Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas (SBP), with Pangilinan as president.

The BAP’s recalcitrance wasn’t unexpected.

National coach Chot Reyes found out about Estrada’s ouster during San Miguel Beer player Romel Adducul’s wedding at Taal late Saturday afternoon.

"I’m not surprised," he said. As soon as Reyes got a text message informing him of the ouster, he quickly relayed the news to the other ninongs in the wedding, Henry Cojuangco and San Miguel assistant vice president Robert Non.

According to Estrada, the BAP executive board — or secretary-general Graham Lim — wanted him to become SBP president, not chairman. And since he had agreed to become chairman, the BAP presumably decided to revive the debate on whether or not it should continue to exist as a tactic to muddle the fundamental issue of unification.

"What’s in a name?" wondered Pangilinan. "It wasn’t a flash of the moment that we came up with SBP. We submitted tons of names to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). There was extensive consultation within the three-man panel (where the BAP was represented). We had lots of discussions, disagreements and heated arguments."

Pangilinan said the POC’s recognition of SBP is "forthcoming" and once it is accepted into the General Assembly, an application will be made to replace the BAP as country affiliate with FIBA.

The work ahead isn’t easy but Pangilinan said it’s got to be done for the country’s sake and for the sport that millions of Filipinos love with a passion.

"We’ve got to do internal housekeeping and call for a national congress to elect the SBP officers by late this month or early February," continued Pangilinan. "We’ll revisit the Board composition, depending on the BAP’s involvement. We’ll do a search for an executive director, treasurer and other positions. We’ll resolve the membership issue, moving forward, pursuant to the terms of the Tokyo communiqué which stipulates country-wide, mass-based representation of the various sectors in basketball. We’ll tap into the basketball infrastructure and networks in the unification process."

Pangilinan said he is loath to get into arbitration proceedings if FIBA refuses to recognize SBP.

"We’ll try our best to work for SBP’s acceptance by FIBA," he said. "I think there’s a lot of goodwill we’ve gained from FIBA to get it going. FIBA is the regulator. We’ve got to go to FIBA for our suspension to be lifted."

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At the SBP press conference in Makati last Monday, Reyes and the core of the national team pool showed up to support Estrada’s decision to abide by the Tokyo communiqué. The players included Adducul, Asi Taulava, Dondon Hontiveros, Don Allado, RenRen Ritualo, Willie Miller, Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Kerby Raymundo, Tony de la Cruz, Yancy de Ocampo, Jimmy Alapag and Danny Seigle.

Also present were Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) chairman Ricky Vargas, PLDT executive Al Panlilio, lawyer Marievic Anonuevo, PBA commissioner Noli Eala, Talk ‘N’ Text coach Derick Pumaren, Red Bull team manager Tony Chua, Non, Coca-Cola representative to the PBA Board of Governors Hector Guballa, Purefoods representative to the PBA Board Rene Pardo, PBA operations manager Ricky Santos, PBA technical manager Perry Martinez, PBA media affairs bureau chief Willie Marcial, PBA marketing manager Jack Ruby, Philippine Basketball League commissioner Chino Trinidad, Hapee Toothpaste team owner Cecilio Pedro, Harbour Centre team owner Mikee Romero, Small Basketeers head Nic Jorge, UAAP board member Anton Montinola, former PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino, Ateneo coach Norman Black, NCAA Board member Henry Atayde, former PBA operations director Ricky Palou, Talk ‘N’ Text team manager Frankie Lim and former PBA stars Philip Cezar, Hector Calma, Samboy Lim and Allan Caidic.

Allado came with his right hand heavily bandaged. He broke the hand on a fall after taking a charge from Rudy Hatfield in the Phone Pals’ game against Barangay Ginebra at the Big Dome last Christmas Day. Allado underwent a two-hour operation to repair the damage and is out for the rest of the conference. His absence prompted Talk ‘N’ Text to acquire de Ocampo via a trade with Air21.

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Adducul was married to Dr. Jocelyn Cobankiat, a kidney specialist at Cardinal Santos Hospital and the Asian Hospital, in a Christian ceremony officiated by pastor Jonathan Bocobo.

Adducul met his wife last year when he brought his mother to Cardinal Santos for a checkup. He previously dated a movie actress and a college teacher.

Dr. Jocelyn is a University of Santo Tomas cum laude graduate. The youngest and only girl of five children, she took up further studies in Singapore and the US. The Adduculs live in a Wack-Wack townhouse. When

Dr. Jocelyn holds clinic at the Asian Hospital in Alabang, they stay in one of Adducul’s three B.F. homes in Las Piñas.

Principal wedding sponsors were San Miguel Corp. chairman and Mrs.

Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., Pangilinan, Teresita Roque, Henry Cojuangco, Sylvia Lopez, Gov. Edgar Lara, Atty. Mila Lauigan, Dr. Rody Sy, Jane Go, Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, Margaret Yu, Atty. Jose, Violeta Baltazar, Robert Non, Olivia Ang, Luis San Diego, Emma Lu Chua, Chot Reyes, Ofelia Javellana, Jackson Ting, Socorro Baquiran, Ed Ponceja and Sienna Olaso.

Adducul’s best man was Alex Compton and maid of honor was Elizabeth San Diego. Among the guests were Terry Que, Raymond Yu, Atty. Arugay, Col. Tony Baquiran and San Miguel Beer players.