Filed by Neil Bravo (12/21/10) as of 4:00 p.m.
This time, redemption came for Philippine football.
A day after the Philippines formally bowed out of the AFF Suzuki Cup with a two-nil aggregate to Indonesia, the country’s national football association can celebrate the declaration of the world’s highest football governing body upholding its new leadership.
FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, in a letter addressed to Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Secretary General Ramon Manuel, formally upheld the change of leadership in the PFF and the ouster of former President Jose Mari Martinez.
Valcke wrote that FIFA Vice President and Association Committee chairman Geoff Thompson was convinced that the elections held last November 27 was valid under Article 13.5 of the PFF By-Laws.
Under the said provision “Only the PFF Congress, by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the entire voting membership may remove and replace the PFF President upon the recommendation and majority vote of the Board of Governors.”
Valcke cited the documents submitted to FIFA in a letter by the PFF on December 6 in reply to the FIFAs letter of December 3 as the basis for FIFA to reconsider its earlier decision of nullifying the elections.
“After having consulted the minutes of the 7th ordinary congress of the PFF on 27th November, 2010, as well as the other enclosures which we now have in our file, we consider that these bring a new light to the held Congress and its results,” Valcke wrote.
The submission of the new enclosures prompted Valcke to refer the matter to Thompson which issued an opinion that the elections last November 27 was held according to the By-Laws of the PFF. He cited that the recommendation of the majority of the Board of Governors was carried out in meetings last September 25 and October 29 and resumed on November 27 leading to Martinez’s ouster the election of Mariano Araneta as the new PFF President and Ismael Batiles, Jr. as Vice President.
Based on Tompson’s opinion, Valcke wrote that the FIFA considers the motion to remove Martinez was accepted.
The letter also confirmed FIFA’s vesting of rights to the new PFF President and Executive Vice President.
“We would like to congratulate Mr. Mariano V. Araneta and Mr. Ismael C. Batiles, Jr. to their election and thank you for taking note,” Valcke concluded.
The letter was faxed from FIFAs Zurich headquarters last Monday.
Martinez was ousted because of alleged unauthorized disbursement of PFF funds, falsification of public documents and failure to return missing funds before a set deadline. This was placed under Point VI of the agenda “Finance.” 26 members voted to oust Martinez with 4 abstentions and 3 of the 33-member Congress absent.
Martinez, however, clung on the post after seeking help from the Asian Football Federation (AFF) which reaffirmed its recognition of him as President. The leadership crisis in the PFF reached high pitch when the members of the Philippine football team criticized Martinez after a successful campaign in the AFF Suzuki Cup where they beat Vietnam en route to its first ever stint in the semis.
Martinez is said to be a close ally of AFF President Kiram Keramuddin of 2022 World Cup host Qatar after the former reportedly delivered the swing vote for Keramuddin in the AFF elections.
Last Sunday, the Azkals finally bowed out of the Suzuki Cup but not after earning the respect of its neighbours in Southeast Asia and the warm embrace of its fans at home. (Neil Bravo, DSA)
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