THE PBA’s past and present chairmen threw their full support behind embattled commissioner Chito Salud amid the controversy surrounding the lottery draft held on Tuesday night before the start of the PBA Governors Cup Finals at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Robert Non, last season’s PBA chairman who currently serves as San Miguel Beer’s governor, was quick to defend Salud, who he described as someone who has “proven his impeccable professionalism, integrity and fairness that led to the league’s success.”
“We are 101 percent in support of the commissioner in his stewardship of the league,” Non said in a statement released to media offices on Friday.
“We don‘t believe in such accusation of impropriety during the lottery to determine the first pick in the coming Rookie Draft. What will he (Salud) gain in return? Nothing,” he added.
Non’s response came on the heels of Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao’s post-Game Two statement on Thursday that the team will ask the PBA board to have a “re-draw of the lottery draft because it was done in a crude manner that lacked transparency and credibility."
Non said such accusation is “tantamount to undermining the league and commissioner Salud’s ability to lead it (the lottery draft).”
On the other hand, current chairman Ramon Segismundo said he has no reason to doubt Salud's integrity.
“And I strongly believe in the integrity of the commissioner. I don’t think it would be fair to doubt his integrity,” he added.
Nonetheless, as chairman, Segismundo said he will make sure Rain or Shine's appeal will be thoroughly tackled and discussed by the league board.
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