FERNANDEZ
Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez is not taking accusations that he “sold” games during his heydays in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) sitting down.
Fernandez, now one of the four commissioners of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), will be filing libel charges against Peping Cojuangco, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
“When I arrive in Cebu, I will meet with my lawyers, Ramsey Quijano and Baldomero Estenzo, for the filing of libel charges against Peping,” said Fernandez, who arrived in Manila last Friday night after an official trip in Japan.
Fernandez will arrive in Cebu tomorrow night.
“If I am still playing now in the PBA, I wouldn’t mind those allegations. I’ll just let my game do the talking. But it’s a total different story now,” said Fernandez.
Cojuangco accused Fernandez, a four-time PBA MVP, of game-fixing when he graced the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum in Manila last Tuesday.
“He used to fix games against Toyota,” said Cojuangco in an inquirer.net report. “Do you want a sports leader who can throw a game away just for money?” said Cojuangco. ”How would the athletes feel if they have that kind of a leader?”
But Fernandez said Cojuangco is just resorting to squid tactics by hurling those allegations against him.
“Those allegations were not substantiated and I have been cleared of any wrongdoing while I was still in the PBA. He is bringing back old issues to cover up what he has been doing in POC. Now, I am filing a case so he can prove his allegations in court,” said Fernandez.
Fernandez has openly criticized Cojuangco for the latter’s continued stay in POC.
Cojuangco won his fourth term as POC president last year. He ran unopposed when the other candidate Ricky Vargas was disqualified for supposedly failing to meet the needed requirements to become an active member of the Olympic body.
In a series of posts in his Facebook accounts, Fernandez has been accusing Cojuangco of misusing government funds.