Trouble brewing in billiards - again

MANILA, Philippines - The Billiards Sports Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP) now has two presidents.

Arturo “Bong” Ilagan yesterday said he is staying put as BSCP head as he branded the July 7 elections naming Aristeo “Putch” Puyat the new BSCP president as “illegal and lacking in quorum.”

“I continue to run the affairs of the BSCP,” Ilagan told The STAR yesterday after the results of the recent elections came out of the newspapers.

Ilagan, who was elected BSCP president in 2009, said he will immediately inform the Philippine Olympic Committee of his strong objections to the said exercise.

Ilagan said he was not properly informed of the holding of the elections, and maintained that under the BSCP by-laws only the president or the secretary-general can call for such.

“The BSCP only has six board members and I’m sure all of us were not there in the said elections. Therefore there was no proper quorum and it’s illegal,” said the former Gintong Alay chief.

Ilagan said the BSCP board is composed of himself as president, Puyat as chairman, Robert Mananquil as secretary-general, Mahar Mangahas as treasurer, and Efren “Bata” Reyes and Ruben Roque as members..

Earning BSCP posts last July 9 were North Cotabato Rep. Bernard Piñol as chairman, Jimmy Chiongco vice president, Perry Mariano secretary-general, Ish Caparras for international affairs and Mangahas treasurer.

Puyat said the other day there is the need to put the affairs in the BSCP in order, and first in his agenda is to discover and support a new breed of talents.

“We need to look for new talents, the younger ones. We don’t have upcoming players,” he said, adding that the Philippines continue to rely on players like Dennis Orcollo and Rubilen Amit and Iris Ranola.

“The Chinese are now fielding players who are just 17 or 18 years old. In our case, there are no young guys of note coming up,” said Puyat, also known as the godfather of Philippine billiards.

“But that’s my line – that we need to discover new talents,” said Ilagan.

Philippine Olympic Committee spokesman Jose Romasanta said while there was no POC representative in the July 9 elections, the Olympic body may have to recognize its results “as long as there are no objections.”