SBP sees light at end of tunnel after talks

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) leaders expressed confidence they have made a giant step for Philippine basketball after their meetings with International Basketball Federation (FIBA) officials in Geneva, Switzerland.

"We’re very satisfied with the trip. We’re already seeing the end of the tunnel insofar as this crisis is concerned. We became more confident that what we’ve been doing all these months is the right thing. We’re grateful that the FIBA has seen it in the same light," said PBA commissioner Noli Eala.

Eala met a small group of sportswriters in a hastily-called press conference the morning after the SBP group returned from their three-day Geneva trip late Monday night.

The SBP group, composed of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, business mogul Manny Pangilinan, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, PLDT executive Al Panlilio and Eala, had bilateral meetings with FIBA officials with the Filipino cage officials reporting what they had achieved in their bid to unify Philippine basketball.

Eala said the group considers the Geneva meetings productive and favorable to Philippine basketball.

"Both FIBA and the SBP have agreed that the best path towards unifying Philippine basketball is to ‘stay the course’ by adhering to, and completing, the terms of the Tokyo agreement," said Eala.

"The FIBA, through its secretary-general Patrick Bauhmann, reiterated that it stands firmly behind the Tokyo agreement and is looking forward to the completion of the work of the ‘three-man panel’ as soon as practicable," Eala added.

Eala said the three-man panel, composed of Pangilinan, Estrada and Pilipinas Basketball’s Junjun Capistrano, is about to complete its task of creating a single unified basketball body with the holding of the unity congress on Feb. 5 in Dusit Hotel.

Pangilinan has been nominated as president and Estrada chairman of the interim body. Their nomination is to be affirmed during the congress.

The big question, however, is whether stakeholders belonging to Basketball Association of the Philippines will attend the congress.

An essential point of the Tokyo accord calls for the creation of single unified body, merging members of the BAP and Pilipinas Basketball. BAP officials, however, have said they’re backing away from the agreement, citing flaws on the process undertaken by the three-man panel.

The BAP mentioned that it has no more representation in the panel with Estrada having been removed as its president.

"Mr. Baumann himself mentioned that but said the congress should eventually cure the flaw," said Eala.

"The FIBA said there’s probably some ground for BAP to act that way (ousting Estrada as president). But they (the FIBA) didn’t say they favor it. In fact, in a certain degree, they had doubts on the propriety of the BAP changing its president so often," Eala added.

The BAP declared Estrada’s position vacant after the young senator entered into an agreement with Pangilinan insofar as the creation of the SBP is concerned.

Will BAP’s non-participation in the unity congress have an impact? "It will be about the perspective of the membership, and the FIBA sees it that way as well. The FIBA stressed the Tokyo agreement is our sanctuary," said Eala.

"For as long as we complete the mandate, FIBA promised to approve our sanction. For as long as we follow the agreement, the process of lifting the suspension is on the right track," Eala added.

The SBP group is so optimistic it will soon gain FIBA’s recognition that Pangilinan has informed FIBA officials of their intention to host the coming SEABA championship and the final Olympic qualifier in September next year.