Philta standoff: Andrada offers to quit for peace

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) president Col. Buddy Andrada said yesterday he will advise the Board of Trustees of his decision to vacate the presidency on Wednesday after which secretary-general Romy Magat is expected to call for an election to fill the post within 30 days.

Andrada said he is resigning for the sake of unity as PHILTA has been wracked by internal dissension since previous president Mayor Edwin Olivarez relinquished the position last May. Incumbent vice president Randy Villanueva claimed he should’ve succeeded Olivarez outright for the unexpired term until 2018 but instead, a snap election was called. Andrada, 81, was voted as president in the snap polls last July. The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), represented by Cynthia Carrion, witnessed the proceedings and affirmed Andrada’s election.

Villanueva protested the result to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), insisting that a provision in the PHILTA Constitution and By-Laws stipulates that if the president vacates his position, the vice president takes over. Andrada, however, disputed Villanueva’s point and said the rule applies only if the president is incapacitated. In Olivarez’ case, he resigned to give full attention to a fresh mandate as Parañaque Mayor. Villanueva also argued that calling for a snap election without observing the prescribed period of notice was highly irregular.

The row prompted ITF president David Haggerty to fly in from his London office and confer with POC president Jose Cojuangco, Jr. on how to resolve the problem last September. It was decided that another election will be called early this year with Andrada agreeing to hold over only until the new president is voted in because of health reasons. But when the polls were held last Feb. 8, no voting was made for president as Andrada stood by the result of the July election with the majority of the board backing him up. A source revealed that Jean Henri Lhuillier was offered the position of vice president with the understanding that he will take over from Andrada after one or two years. Lhuillier had served as PHILTA chairman, a nominal position that isn’t provided in the Constitution and By-Laws, and intended to run for president.

The other day, Andrada met with Dr. Pablo Olivarez, the Parañaque patriarch who controls three seats in the board with his son Mayor Edwin and daughter Edna Nguyen, to advise him of his decision to resign. Andrada said his exit has nothing to do with the supposed plan of Lhuillier to set up a rival tennis association, a fractious move that will no doubt prompt the PSC to stop funding to PHILTA. 

“I don’t know anything about another group being formed,” said Andrada who was once a PSC commissioner. “All I know is there is only one NSA for tennis and that’s PHILTA as recognized by the POC and the ITF. I’m resigning for the sake of unity. I carry only one vote in the board and I will vote for the man whom I think should be my successor. Everyone else can vote whom they like. I want to give every candidate a chance.”

Villanueva, who is in Cambodia with his daughter Rafa in an ITF juniors tournament, said on overseas telephone that while there is a move to form a new tennis organization, “our position is we just can’t quit PHILTA.” Villanueva and his father Lito are in the PHILTA board along with Lhuillier, Andrada, Magat, Dr. Pablo Olivarez, Edna Nguyen, Manny Misa, Martin Misa, Gerard Maronilla, Mayor Edwin Olivarez and Roberto Zarate-Ortiz.

A source said when PHILTA secured SEC registration as the Philippine Tennis Association, formerly the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association, a few years back, the process was fast-tracked so the Constitution and By-Laws were simply templates for easy registration with provisions for president, vice president, treasurer and corporate secretary as the only officers. It was provided that the board members would vote for the officers with no clear definition that stakeholders would be represented. In the previous Constitution and By-Laws, there was a provision for an election of regional vice presidents who would elect the PHILTA officers. A plan to amend the By-Laws is supposedly in the works to assure a fair representation of stakeholders.

The complication in this mess is if the PSC decides to cut off funding for PHILTA. If Lhuillier forms a rival association, its tournaments will surely not be sanctioned by PHILTA, leaving players unable to gain official national rankings. The alternative would be to play overseas for ITF points, an expensive proposition since the PSC will not fund an entity that isn’t recognized by the POC. Today, three junior players Iggy Pantino, Janus Ringia and Macky del Rosario will leave to play in the Junior Davis Cup in India and it’s not certain if the PSC will fund the trip. The word is PHILTA will raise the funding somehow to push through with the trip.