Clutching at straws

There is talk that deposed Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Jose Mari Martinez will seek redress from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a Lausanne-based body organized as part of the International Olympic Committee in 1984 and later reformed to be an independent council. It will take an arbitration agreement between the opposing parties – in this case, Martinez and the PFF – to bring up the issue for recourse to the CAS.

A hefty fee is required to file the case before the CAS but money is apparently not a problem with Martinez who is backed by the wealthy Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar. The real problem is whether Hammam’s influence can overturn a FIFA decision upholding Martinez’ ouster and subsequent election of Mariano Araneta, Jr. as his successor until Nov. 26, 2011.

Hammam, 61, is running for reelection as AFC president and packs considerable weight inFIFA. The polls are scheduled in Qatar on Jan. 6 with Araneta, PFF secretary-general Chito Manuel and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chairman Monico Puentevella attending to represent thecountry. With FIFA’s recent ruling, Martinez will not be allowed to vote for the Philippines.

Hammam has taken the cudgels for Martinez in an attempt to block Araneta’s election. In a letter to FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke, Hammam said the vote of no-confidence that booted out Martinez during the PFF National Congress last Nov. 27 was illegal because the item was not endorsed in the agenda by the PFF Board of Governors.

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FIFA deputy general secretary Markus Kattner had written the PFF voiding Martinez’ ouster and calling for another Congress to settle the dispute within 90 days from Dec. 3. But Valcke superseded Kattner’s ruling in a letter dated last Dec. 20. Valcke, who is Kattner’s boss, said FIFA vice president and chairman of the association committee Geoff Thompson studied the matter and declared the vote to be lawful and in accordance with the PFF Constitution and By-Laws.

Obviously, Martinez is clutching at straws in a desperate move to hang on to power. But what for? In the PFF Congress last month, his ouster was affirmed by 26 out of 30 provincial associations represented in the gathering. There were four abstentions and three no-shows. Even for the sake of argument, the vote was illegal and Martinez has a basis to retain his position, surely, he will lose in another election unless something dramatic happens and 26 voters change their minds. Raising the point of technicality will only delay the inevitable. The die is cast. The clear majority in the PFF has spoken and they want no part of Martinez in the future of Philippine football.

Hammam said in a meeting in the United Arab Emirates last Dec. 18, it was agreed that FIFA and the AFC would send a delegation to the Philippines “to verify the situation in order to take appropriate actions.” FIFA president Joseph Blatter and Thompson were in the meeting, according to Hammam who said Valcke’s letter contradicted what was agreed on.

Hammam even accused the POC of interfering in the PFF’s affairs and questioned why Puentevella will vote for the country in the coming AFF elections.

 “The Olympic Committee of the Philippines has the interest to interfere in football matters as far as the AFC’s coming elections are concerned,” said Hammam, noting that Puentevella will be the country’s delegate designated by the PFF at the AFC Congress where the elections will be held.

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A day after Hamman sent his letter to Valcke, Blatter himself wrote to the AFC president affirming Martinez’ removal. “After a thorough analysis of the file in his possession, (Thompson) opined that the decision of the PFF Congress to remove and replace the PFF president was taken according to the PFF statutes,” said Blatter. “In view of the above and contrary to your statement in your letter, there is in no way any interference of FIFA in the coming AFC elections as there was also no FIFA interference with the AFC Congress in 2009. I thank you for taking note and hope that both AFC and the former PFF president will respect the decision taken by the PFF Congress on Nov, 27, 2010. If not, any duly interested party obviously has the right to seek redress against the PFF Congress decision according to the PFF statutes.”

The fear is if Martinez wages war against the PFF and tries to regain his position, FIFA might just lower the boom on the PFF and suspend the country from participating in FIFA-sanctioned events like what FIBA did in the wake of the dispute between the BAP and SBP. If suspension is meted out, whatever gains the Philippines reaped in the recent Suzuki Cup will go down the drain.

Why can’t Martinez accept the writing on the wall? If he loves Philippine football, he should listen to the voice of the majority and accede. Is Hamman’s involvement in lobbying for Martinez politically-motivated or is he just being loyal to a friend in desperate need of friendship? Is Hamman fighting for Martinez because he’s sure of his vote and not of Puentevella’s?

Former PFF president and Asean Football Federation vice president Johnny Romualdez said, “Mari should return all illegal disbursements he made to himself and to his colleagues before he can call the FIFA decision illegal ... he’d rather destroy Philippine football as he tried to destroy the Azkals than give in to the rule of the PFF Congress.”

Let’s pray for peace and goodwill in Philippine football this coming year.