Late on Tuesday night, rumors began to circulate that the board of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) had rejected Converge's proposal to appoint Dennis 'Delta' Pineda as the FiberXers' board governor. Pineda, who is the governor of Pampanga and has been credited with developing many future PBA players, was appointed as a consultant when Converge entered the league. He was later named team manager.
However, Pineda's appointment as Converge's representative on the PBA board hit a roadblock during a meeting on Tuesday. The reasons for this were unclear, with some speculating that it may have been due to his involvement in politics, his family's alleged links to the numbers game jueteng, or his ownership of other teams in other leagues.
On Thursday, the PBA provided more information on the matter, revealing that no vote had been taken during the meeting on Pineda's appointment. The board had collectively turned down Converge's move, citing the need for the league to remain apolitical, a practice that has been in place since the PBA's inception in 1975.
According to sources, the board had reached a consensus on the matter, meaning that no vote was necessary. Commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed this, stating that the board had already made up its mind to deny Converge's decision to appoint Pineda as its board of governor.
Before reaching the consensus, the board heard from alternate governor Chito Salud, who presented Converge's side of the issue. Once he had finished, Salud left the room, and the board began to discuss the matter.
While a number of personalities involved in politics have been part of the league over the years, including former coach Yeng Guiao, who continued to coach while serving as vice governor and congressman of Pampanga, and Terrafirma owner Jose Alvarez, who is a three-term Palawan governor and currently serves as a representative of the province in Congress, the PBA board has made it clear that it wants to maintain the practice of having corporate executives appointed by team owners to the body.
In the case of Pineda, it seems that the board believed that his appointment would compromise the league's apolitical stance. It remains to be seen whether Converge will nominate someone else to the board or if Pineda will continue to serve as the team's representative in another capacity.
Overall, it is clear that the PBA takes its commitment to remaining apolitical seriously. While there may be some speculation as to the reasons behind the decision to reject Pineda's appointment, the league has made it clear that it wants to maintain its current practices and ensure that corporate executives, rather than politicians, are appointed to the board.
Overall in our eyes, the reasoning is justified. The entry of a big political figure in the board will create political risk for the league.
But, is it worth it when you way the pros and cons? The entry of Governor Pineda could finally create the third challenger that the PBA needs for a much more balance league.
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