The man in the picture is Graham Lim, the Secretary-General of the Basketball Association of the Philippines, and the Great Satan of Philippine basketball. He is the man responsible for putting the Philippines back on the road to international basketball perdition.

Yesterday, officials of the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas, the country's governing body for basketball, denounced the decision of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) to create a special commission to mediate between the SBP and BAP as to which organization should be recognized as the country's national basketball federation.

The roster of SBP officials who attended the announcement served to underline the graveness of the issue: SBP President (and PLDT Chairman) Manny Pangilinan, SBP Vice President (and Talk N Text PBA board governor) Ricky Vargas, PBA Chairman Joaqui Trillo, PBL Chairman Mikee Romero, NCAA Mancom member Bernie Atienza, and SBP Director Noli Eala all took time out of their busy schedules to denounce the Fiba move.

This is the latest move in the power struggle between the BAP, a group that has evolved into a collection of hacks and racketeers, and the SBP, who are composed of the biggest stakeholders of the sport in the country such as the PBA, the PBL, the UAAP, the NCAA, et. al. And Graham Lim is the man behind the moves to discredit the SBP and have BAP reinstalled once again.

It's a long story, but here's what we know about Graham Lim and the BAP:

1995 - Lim becomes part of the BAP as an appointee of Freddie Jalasco, the former son-in-law of ex-President Fidel Ramos, after Jalasco uses his connections to unseat long-time BAP President Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat. Lim slowly builds up his influence by currying favor with local politicians and Fiba officials abroad. Part of his modus operandi was to organize basketball tournaments to promote local politicians, and invite Fiba officials to go on junket trips to these tournaments.

2001 - When Lim and Jalasco have a falling out, Lim throws his support behind Tiny Literal, who was subsequently elected BAP President, after years of fighting against Jalasco. Lim's faction also battles against Puyat for control over the federation, but win out eventually. Lim spends the next few years controlling the BAP, steadily increasing his clout. During this period, the BAP becomes notorious for organizing shitty basketball teams to play in various international tournaments, with little regard for the teams' quality. It should be noted that however bad the national team might be, sponsorship money was still easy to find because it still was the national team.

2005 - It all blows up in Lim's face when a lowly ragtag squad composed of ex-pros and mediocre amateurs, the Paranaque Jets, beats the national team in a game. Philippine Olympic Committee Chairman Peping Cojuangco, who was not particularly fond of Lim, moves to suspend the BAP and supports efforts led by the PBA to form a new national basketball federation. Lim raises the issue to Fiba, who decides to bar the Philippines from competing internationally while leadership of the country's basketball program was still in dispute. Lim's group replaces Literal, who had merely been a figurehead, and elected Joey Lina to be BAP President.

October 2006 - Lina and Atienza lead the negotiations for unity to end the ban, with both parties choosing Pangilinan to be the third member of the panel. The three men come to terms to form the SBP, but Lina abruptly resigns after Lim and his cohorts find the terms to be unacceptable, thus prolonging the impasse.

January 2007 - Looking for a new figurehead, Lim tricks Sen. Jinggoy Estrada into accepting the position. Even though we all know that Jinggoy is not the sharpest tool in the shed, he quickly comes around to the SBP's position after a series of meetings with Pangilinan. Jinggoy tells the BAP to accept the SBP's terms, so Lim and his band of idiots fire him and appoints Go Teng Kok president.

February 2007 - Representatives of the BAP and the SBP come to terms in a Bangkok meeting presided by Fiba Secretary-General Patrick Baumann, paving the way for the formation of the BAP-SBP. Fiba lifts its ban on the Philippines, allowing the PBA-backed national team coached by Chot Reyes to contend in the SEABA Championships and the Fiba-Asia Championships. The peace did not last long, as the BAP complained that their "member-organizations" were not being given proper accreditation by the new organization, leading to disenfranchisement. Most of the organizations the BAP submitted for recognition were paper organizations that have not held tournaments for years.

June 2008 - With the SBP national congress scheduled for June 12, the BAP held its own congress, electing Luis Villafuerte chairman and Prospero Pichay president, showing you that the BAP is concerned with nothing but quality leadership. They also file a motion to stop the SBP elections, but this is denied. The BAP sues the SBP to nullify the results of this election.

September 2008 - The Manila Regional Trial Court orders that the June 12 SBP elections be declared null and void.

October 2008 - The Court of Appeals overturns the Manila RTC decision and affirms the SBP position. Fiba applauds the decision and recognizes the SBP as the legitimate sports federation for basketball in the Philippines.

June 2009 - Due to the maneuverings of Lim and Go, the Fiba decides to form a special committee to investigate the SBP, and summons its officials to a meeting in Geneva. The SBP denounces the summon.

What does this mean for Philippine basketball? There is the looming possibility of the Fiba suspending the Philippines again. It would be a tragedy, as the country's best basketball players, the Powerade Team Pilipinas, are scheduled to compete this August in China in the Fiba-Asia Championships, to try to qualify for a slot in next year's World Basketball Championships. It could also put a wrench in the training for the Smart Gilas RP Team, the country's national basketball development team aiming to qualify for the 2012 Olympics.

The statement of the SBP on the current mess follows.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PHILIPPINE BASKETBALL COMMUNITY
June 23, 2009

The Board of Trustees of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Inc. (SBP) wishes to express their gratitude to all of you who have given their support and contributed to the success of the numerous programs which the SBP has put in place to develop Philippine basketball. In the two (2) years since its inception, the SBP's influence, reach and leadership in Philippine basketball have been significant — particularly when viewed from the context of the four (4) decades of existence of its predecessor association, the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP).

Referees Programs

1. Implemented the comprehensive National Referees Development Program (NRDP) which has already benefited more than four hundred (400) arbiters in its first year.


2. Regularly sends Filipino referees to International Referees' Clinics so that there are now eleven (11) Filipino FIBA-licensed International Referees compared with only four (4) when the SBP took over from the BAP, one of whom will officiate in the forthcoming world championships Jr. Men's in New Zealand.


3. Organized and fully-subsidized the series of elite referees' clinics conducted by Mr. Alan Richardson, FIBA International Instructor and Euroleague Supervisor for Referees.


4. Created an Elite Referees Pool whose members are now being used by SBP member leagues.

Coaches Programs

The SBP has implemented the National Coaches Accreditation and Licensing Program (NCALP) which already completed its first task of gathering and identifying over eight hundred (800) coaches nationwide. Numerous coaching clinics are now being held to standardize our coaching techniques in line with our National Team Program.

Youth and Grassroots Programs

1. Stages various National Championships for different age groups and gender categories including the Philippine Champion's League where over two hundred (200) universities and colleges participated and the forthcoming National Junior Championships for boys and girls.


2. Founded the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC), the elite basketball school for 18 and under boys and girls.


3. Created the SBP 33, inspired by FIBA's 3-on-3 basketball program, to form competitive teams for the Asian Indoor Games, Asian Beach Games, Asian Youth Games and the Youth Olympics.

National Teams

The SBP maintains a robust and aggressive national team program for all age and gender categories. All National Teams are well-funded through the support of SBP sponsors and donors.

1. The SBP has a long-term program for our young Men's National Team with the objective of qualifying for the London Olympics in 2012, and improving our currently low standing in the FIBA world rankings resulting from long years of neglect. To help realize these goals, a Serbian coach, Mr. Rajko Toroman, has been engaged and a comprehensive training program and calendar has been put together which includes so far, tournaments and training camps in Serbia, the United States, Indonesia and Japan.


2. The Philippine National Teams have achieved significant results in the last year by virtue of the SBP programs now in place:
   
   
   1. 7th place, FIBA Asia Championships for Junior Men in 2008 d) Champion, 1 st China Asean-CBO International Tournament in 2008
   
   
   2. 2. 2nd place, 1 st Asian Beach Games in Bali 2008 e) 5th place, FIBA Asia Champion's Cup 2009
   
   
   3. 3. 2nd place, Division II, FIBA Asia Championships for Junior Women in 2008 f) Champion, SEABA 2009 - Qualifier for FIBA Asia Men's Championships in Tianjin, China
   
   
   4. 4. The SBP National Team Competition's calendar for 2009 has never been more vibrant with our teams qualifying for the FIBA Asia Championship for Women (16 and under), the FIBA Asia Championships for Junior Men and Women, the FIBA Asia Championships for Men, the Asian Youth Games and the Asian Indoor Games (Vietnam).

Membership Program

To date, five (5) new active members have been added to the roster of SBP membership bringing the total number to twenty four (24). Other applications are now being reviewed by the Nomination and Membership Committee for active status. In addition, ten (10) new associate members have been added with provision for future consideration as regular active members. Total membership (active and associate) now stands at forty (40).

WHY DO THE ATTACKS ON THE SBP CONTINUE?

Despite these achievements, it saddens us to note that there are still those who continue to question the legitimacy of the SBP and its current leadership. These individuals, who are still aligned with the BAP, have chosen to disregard the “Tokyo Communiqué” dated 28th August 2006, which led to the formation of the SBP as the country's sole and unified governing body for basketball. They also allege that the SBP has failed to comply with the subsequent “Bangkok Agreement” dated 4th February 2007, which elaborated further the terms of the Tokyo Communiqué. It is apparent that the BAP continues to raise issues and complaints against SBP and its present leadership to the detriment of achieving unity in Philippine Basketball. It is also clearer now that BAP's interpretation of unity means unity on its own terms.

Last May 28, 2009, the SBP received a letter from Mr. Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General, advising the SBP of the creation of a “Special Commission for the Philippines”. The formation of this Special Commission was precipitated by “various correspondences and continuous complaints addressed to the FIBA Secretariat over the past months on the matter related to the institutional legitimacy of the Philippine Basketball Federation and its current leadership.”

WHAT IS THE SBP’S POSITION?

The SBP has decided that it will not submit to the jurisdiction of this Special Commission for the following reasons:

1. Mr. Baumann in his letter dated last year (May 13, 2008) and sent to the SBP clearly and categorically stated that:
   
   
   1. FIBA is fully supporting the SBP and its President Manuel V Pangilinan and its Board of Trustees;
   
   
   2. FIBA will disregard any communication coming from the former BAP “as it has no rights with FIBA”; and
   
   
   3. FIBA is dismissing Mr. Graham Lim with immediate effect from his membership in the FIBA Youth Commission, citing his “continuous actions to disrupt the proper functioning of the SBP as “unacceptable”.


2. The Philippine Court of Appeals has already affirmed SBP's compliance with the Bangkok Agreement and the Tokyo Communiqué. The Court's decision confirmed the membership validation process undertaken by the SBP and also sustained the validity of the June 12, 2008 SBP National Congress and the regular election of SBP's trustees and officers held at that meeting.


3. The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) have both recognized the SBP and have effectively and correctly accorded its leadership with full rights as the lawful governing body of basketball in the Philippines.


4. The basis on which the Special Commission was formed rests on complaints and allegations, as mentioned in the Baumann letter of May 28, 2009, made by the BAP that are unverified and biased. That is why the Baumann letter is simply incomprehensible - giving apparent credence to “various correspondences and continuous complaints” without verifying their veracity.

Instead of removing the squeaky and noisy wheels - as Baumann indicated he would in his letter last year to SBP - he has now lubricated them with oil.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We should emphasize that it was the BAP which initiated the judicial action challenging the legitimacy of the June 12, 2008 SBP National Congress and elections. We regard this legal step by the BAP to be significant because it clearly demonstrates its intention and preference to have the matter decided by our Philippine judicial system - and not by any other party, tribunal or commission — foreign or local. Having lost in a forum that they themselves chose, BAP is now shopping for another forum that may be sympathetic to it.

Accordingly, the SBP has to put on record and placed FIBA on notice that it shall not participate in any proceedings which this Special Commission may undertake, unless and until it has become unequivocally clear to SBP what its mandate, jurisdiction and scope of authority really are. More importantly, the BAP legal challenge, after having been rejected by our Court of Appeals, has been elevated by it to our Supreme Court, where it is now under consideration. In that light, the SBP has firmly taken the position that whilst this domestic issue is under judicial review, it should not submit itself to any other legal jurisdiction until the matter has been finally resolved by our legal system. Let Philippine law take its course; let us respect our Courts and not incur their contempt otherwise.

We the members of the SBP call upon all legitimate stakeholders of Philippine Basketball to raise their individual and collective voices and take a unified stand condemning the disruptive actions of the BAP, and protest FIBA's unwarranted intrusion into what must be a purely domestic matter requiring domestic resolution.

Make yourself be heard by sending your comments through sbp.com.ph.

Mabuhay ang Philippine Basketball!

Signed:

Gov. Oscar V. Moreno
Chairman of the Board

Manuel V. Pangilinan
President

Jose Emmanuel M. Eala
Executive Director

Joaquin Trillo
Philippine Basketball Association

Michael Romero
Philippine Basketball League

Anton Montinola
University Athletic Association of the Philippines

Fr. Mateo de Jesus OSB
National College Athletic Association

Reynaldo D. Gamboa
Philippine Collegiate Champions League

Jose Soberano
Pinoy Basketbol Inc.

Daniel Danilo V. Soria
Baguio Benguet Educational Athletic League

Fr. Paul M. De Vera
National College Athletic Association – South

Robert L. Uy
Iloilo Basketball League

Bernardo Gabriel I. Atienza
Cagayan de Oro Basketball Association

Pedro C. Alfaro
El Federacion Basketbolista de Zamboanga

Gerardo P. Sabal III
Cagayan de Oro School Athletic Association

Ernesto Jay G. Adalem
National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and University

Raul D. Alcoseba
Visayas Amateur Athletic Association