PABA polls set Sept 14; stakeholders list bared

MANILA, Philippines - The ad-hoc committee of the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association has come up with a list of possible members from which the stakeholders will form the overall membership for next month’s elections as mandated by the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The PABA has set the elections of officers on Sept. 14 at the POC’s office inside the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The committee, chaired by Eladio Baradas, yesterday released the roster of 65 teams from various leagues, schools and communities which it had identified following a series of meetings, consultations and a baseball summit.

It has also come up with a set of criteria from which these teams and leagues will have to meet to be able to be bona fide members of the association. The PABA has set Aug. 31 as the deadline for completion of requirements.

The PABA will elect a new set of officers with the president replacing Hector Navasero, who will step down after being at the baseball helm for over two decades.

“We’re opening up PABA practically to everyone as long as they register and meet all the requirements to be a voting member,” said Baradas.

The committee has identified established leagues with 13 teams in the fold, led by Baseball Philippines, Philippine Tot Baseball and Little League; 10 schools with baseball program, 36 communities and towns noted for their grassroots program, like ILLAM and Tanauan, and six corporate and private teams, led by the Manila Sharks and the Cebu Dolphins.

The Sept. 14 election will also coincide with the submission of roster of the national team seeing action in the 26th Southeast Asian Games slated Nov. 11-25 in Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia or one day before the deadline for the submission of names on Sept. 15.

“We are pursuing our bid for slot in the SEAG contingent for flag and country,” said Baradas. “We don’t want to miss the SEA Games because we know we have a strong chance of winning the gold.”

For inquiries, interested leagues and teams may call PABA secretary Rica Cabahit at 890-8277 or Baradas at 0908-8978827.

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The list of PABA stakeholders and their contact persons are Little League Philippines (Chito Gonzales), Philippine Tot Baseball (Rodolfo “Boy” Tingzon, Jr.), Junior Baseball Softball Foundation (Rally Martinez), PRISAA, Department of Education (Rose Domingo), SCUAA (Dr. Calo), UAAP (Ricky Palou), Baseball Philippines (Nolan Bernardino), Titans (Bacchus Ledesma), Lipa Barakitos (Angelica Chavez), LABS (Vice Mayor Gecolea);

Cebu (Jesse Bernad), Davao (Joaquin Sarabia), Ateneo De Manila University (Randy Dizer), Southridge School for Boys (Boy Codiñera), La Salle Zobel (Gideon Diestro), La Salle Canlubang (Solomon Padiz), La Salle Greenhills (Bro. Philip Nelan, FSC), La Salle Lipa (Darwin Peña), La Salle Antipolo, Brent International School (Kathy Ong), Xavier (Ray Sabio), Marist (Falconeri Tulabot), Japan International School, Rizal High School, Lipa Canossa (Lito Pulgo), ILLAM (Norman Macasaet);

Manila (Boy Codiñera), Marikina, MLL (Pepe Muñoz), Pasig, Quezon City (Bernie Abis), JCI-Manila-Gawad Kalinga (Tondo Chapter), Rich Estuesta (Caloocan), Antipo (Mark Zapanta), Florida Blanca (Ferdinand Nankil), Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte (Michael Keon), Rizal Province, Bulacan (Jeffrey Santiago), Isabela, Imus, Gen. Trias (Nilo Barajan), Lipa (Lipa Barakitos), Angelica Chavez;

Cavite (Strike Revilla), Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Tanauan (Mayor Sonia Torres Aquino thru Teotimo Leus), Batangas, Camarines Norte, Camarined Sur, Naga, Legaspi, Talisay, Bacolod, Zambonga (Narciso Arevalo), Davao City, Cebu, Bayanan, Parañaque, Dasmariñas Cavite, Makati (Yolanda Sanchez), Taguig (Vice Mayor Ilias) and Libjo Batangas (Norman Chavez);

Manila Sharks (Richard Cruz), Cebu Dolphins (Jose Cabarrus), Dumaguete Unibikers (Atty. Felipe Antonio Remollo),Taguig Patriots (Vice-Mayor Ilias), Batangas Bulls (Norman Macasaet) and Alabang (Gerardo Borromeo).