LATE Tuesday night, word leaked out that the PBA board rejected a Converge move appointing Dennis 'Delta' Pineda as the FiberXers' board governor.
Pineda, the governor of Pampanga who is credited for helping develop a number of future PBA players, was appointed consultant upon Converge's entry to the PBA before being named team manager late last season.
READ: PBA rejects Pineda appointed as Converge governor
However, the Pampanga governor's assumption to a new role as Converge's representative in the 12-man PBA board, made official in a letter sent by the FiberXers to the league in early April, hit a road block in the board meeting on Tuesday.
Why?
Was it because of Pineda's involvement in politics? Was it because of his family's alleged links to the numbers game jueteng or online sabong? Or was it because of his ownership of other teams playing in other leagues?
That wasn't clear on Tuesday night, when word coming out of the PBA board vaguely claimed that 'politics' was behind the controversial decision.
On Thursday, the issue got more clarity from the league, which said that there was no vote taken during the meeting on Pineda's appointment, and that the board was one in turning down the Converge move.
The reason?
The league board, according to sources, explained that it rejected the Pampanga governor's appointment to be able to remain 'apolitical,' saying that has been the case since the PBA was born in 1975.
"After a thorough discussion, the PBA Board of Governors collectively decided without aid of a vote that the PBA shall remain apolitical in its affair," read part of the Board letter sent to Converge.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said the Board no longer voted on the matter since there was already enough consensus within the board denying Converge's decision to make Pineda its board of governor.
"May consensus na yung Board kaya hindi na nag-botohan pa," he said.
But before reaching the consensus, the Board heard the side of the FiberXers through alternate governor Chito Salud.
"Present si Com Chito at siya ang nag-present ng side ng Converge. After that, lumabas siya ng room when the Board began to discuss the matter," said Marcial.
A number of personalities involved in politics have been part of the league over the years, including Yeng Guiao who continued to coach during his time as vice governor and congressman of Pampanga, and Terrafirma owner Jose Alvarez, who is a three-term Palawan governor and currently sits as a representative of the province in Congress.
However, the PBA board said it wants to maintain the practice of having corporate executives appointed by team owners to the body.
So there.
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