Ilagan, Puyat elected to billiards top posts

MANILA, Philippines - Amid a botched attempt to call it off, the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines pushed through with its elections yesterday with Arturo “Bong” Ilagan and Aristeo “Putch” Puyat being elected to four-year terms as BSCP president and chairman, respectively.

The elections went on after a Makati Regional Trial Court denied the request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) filed by the contending party led by Ernie Fajardo and Yen Makabenta, the “former” president and chairman of the billiards association now hoping to move on.

Fajardo said they are not recognizing the results of the elections.

Also elected along with Ilagan, the former executive director of Project: Gintong Alay, and Puyat, regarded as the godfather of Philippine billiards, were Joaquin Perez de Tagle, secretary-general; Jonathan Sy, treasurer; and former UP Professor and columnist Mahar Mangahas and sports journalist Willie Caballes as directors.

Ilagan, Puyat and De Tagle will also serve as directors. The other members of the new BSCP core are world champion Efren “Bata” Reyes, businessman Jonathan Sy of Bacolod, female player Joana Yuchengco Dee and referee Jimmy Chongco.

Fajardo and Makabenta were invited to join the exercise held in Valle Verde, but decided otherwise as they contested the list of the voters made up of nine voters. They maintained that a new list of voters, an expanded one, should be used.

Fajardo said they will push through with their own elections on April 29 even if the POC under Jose “Peping” Cojuangco has already given its blessings to the Ilagan group.

Col. Buddy Andrada of tennis, POC deputy sec-gen and Go Teng Kok of athletics, witnessed yesterday’s election.

Andrada then ordered the group to furnish the POC of the minutes of the election, the names of those who were nominated and elected, and set a courtesy call on Cojuangco “as soon as possible.”

“The list of voters is highly irregular and unfair. Why are they using the list of voters in 2005 (the last BSCP elections) when a lot of things have already happened. We have seven new voting members but they did not allow them to vote,” Fajardo said yesterday.

“The BSCP does not recognize the meeting and election of directors conducted by persons majority of whom are not members of the association. BSCP will proceed with our scheduled elections on April 29, 2009 wherein members of good standing will be able to exercise their right to vote and elect their board of directors,” Fajardo said.

Ilagan said he will reach out to Fajardo’s group.

“Yes I’m willing to do that. I can sit down with them if they want,” said Ilagan.

Puyat said the group of Fajardo and Macabenta can continue to exist, and they can even hold tournaments as long as it will not go against the BSCP mandate. The Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines is a welcome member of the BSCP.

“We will not force players to join our tournaments. Kung ano ang gusto nila salihan, salihan nila (They can join any tournament). And I assure you we will not deny players the right to be part of the national team if they refuse to join our tournaments,” said Puyat.

“We will encourage anybody who wants to promote billiards. They can promote their own tournaments provided that there is nothing against the association. As I said we will even encourage them because that will be good for the sport. We will not use the BSCP for our personal interest,” Puyat added.

Ilagan bared his plans and programs, which are to heal the prevailing rift and animosity among the stakeholders in billiard, treat the athletes with respect and fairness in all the activities of the NSA, assure athletes that there will be fairness in the selection of players that will play in events where the country is invited, work for the development of amateur players particularly among the youth and assures all stakeholders that none of its officers and members can use the NSA to promote personal interests.

He also said the BSCP will coordinate all its programs with the POC and PSC, promote harmony and cooperation among stakeholders of the billiards with the end view of raising the standards of the sport and ultimately bring honor to the country.

The proposed members of the new BSCP are Robert Mananquil, Oliver Ongtawko, Martin Misa, Jesus Gonzales, Richard Tan, Edwin Reyes, Ceferino Mariano, Christine Caparras, Rolando Vicente and Julius Neri. They represent the different billiards associations spread all over the country.

In denying the Fajardo group’s petition, the court said that the complainants failed to establish and present evidence that would show a clear invasion of right that must be protected. It also sustained the position of the defendants that it has no jurisdiction over the case.

In its order, the court pointed out that issues to be resolved are the qualification and eligibility of members as well as their corresponding right to vote, thus in the nature of an intra-corporate dispute that should be heard by the commercial court designated by the Supreme Court in the City of Makati.

It also said that the action of the BSCP is premature since the matter should have been first brought to the grievance, arbitration and mediation body of the POC as stated in its constitution and by-laws.