Salud offered post of deputy commish

MANILA, Philippines - Atty. Angelico “Chito” Salud is now on line to be the next commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association, following in the footsteps of his father Atty. Rudy.

The PBA board of governors, in concurrence with current commissioner Renauld “Sonny” Barrios, decided in a meeting yesterday to offer to the young Salud the post of deputy commissioner.

Salud, who previously worked as Barrios’ consultant, is believed to be being groomed to succeed the current commissioner in the near future.

An Atenean like his eminent father, Salud is now being groomed to be the eighth PBA commissioner after Leo Prieto, Col. Mariano Yenko, Rudy Salud, Rey Marquez, Jun Bernardino, Noli Eala and Barrios.

He’s expected to get the position by next season.

This is the first time the PBA is filling up the post of deputy commissioner since Tommy Manotoc assumed and then vacated the position in the 80s.

Curiously, the young Salud was the same person who, together with Lambert Ramos, underwent the selection process for the post eventually filled up by the current commissioner.

Neither Salud nor Ramos obtained the needed number to secure the job then.

In the same meeting, the board finally gave the Purefoods Hormel franchise the right to vote on non-basketball related matters.

Purefoods is the third PBA franchise of San Miguel Corporation, and under the rules on commonly owned teams, only two teams can cast votes on all PBA matters. Voting for SMC in the past were representatives of the San Miguel Beermen and the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

With the latest board decision, Purefoods can now vote on issues concerning business contracts, league personnel and acceptance and suspension or termination of another PBA member.

However, Purefoods still cannot vote on basketball related matters like game protests, game officiating issues, salary cap rules/violations, player trades and Annual Draft.

The board also did away with the 15-game residency requirement for Fil-foreign applicants to the 2010 PBA Annual Draft in the light of developments in the amateur basketball backyard.

In lieu of the 15-game residency requirement, Fil-foreign applicants to the draft will just have to attend the entire Rookie Camp, which has been extended from the usual three days to one week.

The expanded Rookie Camp will allow teams to have a better gauge of the Fil-foreign talents available for the 2010 PBA Annual Draft.