SALUD RESIGNS

Power struggle within league seen as reason for PBA prexy’s decision

Games today:
Araneta Coliseum
4:15 p.m.- GlobalPort vs. NLEX
7:00 p.m.- Mahindra vs. San Miguel Beer

The top official of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has resigned.

A power struggle within the league was allegedly the reason for Chito Salud’s resignation from his post as the league’s president and chief executive officer.

In an Inquirer.net report, Manny V. Pangilinan, who owns three teams in the league, confirmed Salud’s resignation, mentioning the development in passing during a press briefing at Meralco Theater.

“Meanwhile, in the PBA, Chito Salud is also resigning,” Pangilinan said.

In a separate report by Spin.ph, Salud tendered his resignation on Tuesday. Salud resigned as commissioner last season and was replaced by Chito Narvasa.

The report said Salud was reportedly unhappy with some of the decisions made by Narvasa that has encroached into the former’s role.

According to the report, it didn’t sit well with Salud that he was bypassed when Narvasa came up with the decision to ban Spin.ph contributing writer Snow Badua and Mahindra consultant Joe Lipa.

A source allegedly told Spin.ph that the “final straw was Narvasa’s decision to take over the marketing arm of the pro league which the league board has already approved.”

Meanwhile, action resumes today at the Araneta Coliseum.

The GlobalPort Batang Pier take on the NLEX Road Warriors in the first game, while the main game will have the Mahindra Enforcers battling the San Miguel Beermen.

San Miguel is tied with the Alaska Aces and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at the number-one spot with identical 6-1 (win-loss) records.

The three squads are already assured of a quarterfinal berths and are the front-runners for the two outright semifinal seats.

GlobalPort and NLEX are tied for the fifth and sixth spots with identical 4-3 records, while the Enforcers are at ninth place with two wins and five losses.