TEAM PILIPINAS FORMATION HELD BACK BY ANOTHER SBP - BAP LEADERSHIP SQUABBLE; EALA QUESTIONS BARRIOS' DECISION

Team Pilipinas coach was supposed to be announced this week but a court ruling has ordered SBP, the FIBA recognized basketball governing body in the Philippines, to cease and desist from functioning prompted the PBA commissioner to put on hold the team's formation.

PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios put on hold yesterday the formation of the RP team for the 2009 FIBA Asia championship with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) engaged in a legal battle on which is the legitimate national federation in the country.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Antonio Eugenio ordered last week the SBP under president Manny Pangilinan to cease and desist from functioning as a national cage body, granting the petition filed by the BAP...

SBP executive director Noli Eala has said they will appeal the Eugenio ruling that nullified the SBP election of officers last June 12 where Pangilinan was voted as president.

“Prudence dictates we put on hold the formation of the national team starting with the naming of the coach. If we go on, the court might say ‘who ordered you so.’ Worse, we might be cited for contempt,” added Barrios. “Hopefully, this legal matter is resolved immediately.”

But the PBA chief made it clear that the PBA is not abandoning the SBP, remaining loyal to its cause.

Barrios, who has just returned from a two-week vacation in the United States, was to announce his choice as national coach on Oct. 1. The coach would be given the blanket authority to form his team vying for a slot in the 2010 World Championship in the regional qualifier set in September next year.

The reactions from fans were anger and frustration. From Philstar

This rotten ------ is such a nuisance... Just when the national team program is starting to move, he yanks it back again to chaos... This guy obviously just wants power and is not interested in genuine basketball development in the country...

Politicians should be banned in basketball affairs (or in any sports program) because they haven't done anything to improve it in the first place. All they do is squabble among themselves...

Of course, posters also gave great suggestions and one of it is this

Politicians should be banned in basketball affairs (or in any sports program) because they haven't done anything to improve it in the first place. All they do is squabble among themselves...

Frustrated fans hit out on the PBA Commissioner:

There is no such thing as playing it safe if you are a responsible leader ,you must be decisive and willing to send a strong signal to the Pichay group to abandon their shameless act. Time is of the essence here FIBA-ASIA tourney is near we might end up cramming again if you are willing to help the Philippine Team then act now you must be willing to take the risk.

Another view:

Barrios is playing safe because he doesn't have the guts to get involved and admit where his loyalties really are.

Thank goodness, not all is lost. It seems the SBP has secured a restraining order from the Court of Appeals to prevent the lower court from executing its decision.

BAP-SBP executive director Noli Eala said the federation has secured a temporary restraining order on the Sept. 3 decision of Judge Antonio Eugenio (Manila RTC Branch 24) from Justice Juan Enriquez Jr. of Division 11 in the Court of Appeals.

Eala Questions Barrios' Decision

Eala isn't so happy with Barrios' decision as it shows division within the SBP which the PBA is a member!

“It’s totally not a related issue. It also shows inconsistency within the SBP where the PBA is a member,” said Eala.

“We’re confident with the case which the SBP appealed. I don’t know where that feeling of his (Barrios) is coming from but that decision doesn’t speak well. It’s not his concern,” added Eala.

So, there was really no reason for Barrios to put on hold Team Pilipinas' formation. Barrios is unpopular with national team fans for many reasons and one of them is his reported dislike for the PBA to represent the country internationally.

From a basketball forum

The decision of Barrios to withhold the naming of the coach shows a timid unimaginative leader content to watch from the fence and afraid to take sides. The PBA as a member of SBP and with all its money and power should have taken the SBP's side. Barrios reminds me somewhat of cesafi leader tiuhinkoy. Mr. Barrios showed the kind of decision-making he has previously when he made his unpopular decisions regarding the pba national team. I hope he gets replaced soon.

From another poster, an even worse charge:

Barrios at the moment is trying to bring back the greedy PBA era... I don't care if the PBA is enjoying something from his Commissionership but this guy, like ------, is ruining Philippine Basketball...

In various internet basketball forums, the general consensus has been both the PBA and the BAP are responsible for the massive decline of Philippine basketball. This impression shows no sign of ending.