PHILIPPINE Basketball Association Commissioner Chito Narvasa is staying put because the rules, policies and principles that govern the professional league are on his side.
This was the statement of San Miguel Beer governor Robert Non, speaking on behalf of the five teams who refuse to succumb to pressure from a renegade bloc seeking for the ouster of Narvasa.
“They cannot just act on a whim. What they are doing is not in accordance with our by-laws and constitution. All five teams—San Miguel, Ginebra, Star, Kia and Globalport—stand behind Commissioner Narvasa. He enjoys our full support and we have prevailed upon him to stay and do what is right,” said Non.
Non said the move by disgruntled members of the PBA board, led by Talk and Text, is unauthorized and not binding under the league’s by-laws and constitution.
“These officials do not constitute the majority needed to remove or appoint the commissioner and thereafter, make any changes in the PBA structure,” said Non.
Under the PBA rules, a majority is two-thirds of its current membership, which is eight of the current 12 members. In this context, only a majority vote of two-thirds of the league board membership is required by its by-laws and constitution to remove Narvasa.
San Miguel, Star, Ginebra, GlobalPort and Kia representatives were unable to attend yesterday’s unauthorized meeting as the notice was only given last Oct. 30, a violation of the seven-day rule for such.
“So without this clear majority, all changes being made by these renegade members are not allowed, including the appointment of Rickie Santos as officer-in-charge, and would not be binding on the whole board membership,” Non said.
“This includes as well the misrepresentation of NLEX board member Ramon Fernandez as PBA chairman, when in fact, the sitting chairman is still Globalport’s Mikee Romero,” he added.
Non continued that these seven board members cite loss of confidence and poor performance as the reason for calling for Narvasa’s removal, but they cannot cite any instance that would back their claims up, save for the MVP teams’ dissatisfaction with the recent trade consummated between the San Miguel Beermen and Kia Picanto.
Non said he was informed that prior to yesterday’s meeting, five members of the renegade bloc, met with Narvasa at the UCC Cafe in Libis last Oct. 30.
Narvasa attended the meeting with the belief that it was only with Fernandez to discuss PBA’s planning session, but when he arrived at the venue, four other board members—Dioceldo Sy (Blackwater), Mert Mondragon (Rain of Shine), Raymund Zorilla (Phoenix), and Dickie Bachmann (Alaska)—were also there to discuss his removal from his post as commissioner.
“This move does not sit well with the rest of us board members. Any move should be made in the proper forum and must be covered the league’s rules and regulations. Any move beyond this is definitely not allowed,” added Non, citing that the group backing the move to remove Narvasa has the habit of changing commissioners at a whim, citing the decisions to remove Commissioner Noli Eala and Sonny Barrios in the past.
“If we allow that to happen, then this will weaken the Commissioner’s Office and turn it into a puppet of whoever is the most powerful among the team owners,” Non said.