Fair Play: Is it time to replace the CFA board?

CEBU football is in turmoil.

It’s no surprise, really.

Cebu football is always in turmoil. It’s a never-ending saga involving back-biting, come-uppance and pissing contests among clubs, peppered only with a few moments of unity.

Jonathan Maximo, the previous president, had more than his fair share of critics. In the last two years of his term, I remember, not a few members couldn’t wait to give him the boot.

The guy before him, Mario Ugarte, also had his. He sat so long in his throne that members decided to stage a coup and kick him out.

Two years into Maximo’s term, footballers were already talking about how “good it was” under Ugarte.

Two years ago, Maximo stepped down. In come Richarde Montayre, Bro. Mari Aberasturi and the rest of the new board. Now, just halfway into their four-year term, some folks can’t wait to have them replaced. I believe someone also commented, “Maayo pa to sa panahon ni Maximo.” (Hmmm, maybe CFA should cut its BOD’s tenure to two years?)

Now, should the board be replaced?

I don’t speak for the football community, nor am I a member.

But I think it would be a wrong move. That opens a whole string of Football Power 1, Football Power 2, Football Power 3...

I mean, why replace the board? What for?

Issues—at least those that don’t dwell on the libelous and ridiculous—raised against the board seems to be all about policy. The best way to deal with policy problems is to talk about it, not to scheme for a new leadership setup.

My beef with the current board has always been on how they take the media for granted, how they seem to assume that because they are a football organization, the media will be there at their beck and call.

It doesn’t work that way. The previous president built that bridge, the present board burned it. And no, that bridge wasn’t built on payola.

Now, despite their lack of publicity, the present board, has indeed, done wonders. They got a lot of projects from the PFF.

Though that may be partially because they stayed neutral when other folks were also trying to unseat the PFF president, they still have done quite a lot in their two years.

Replacing them now means it’s back to square one and could polarize an already polarized community.

There is a congress this Saturday and holding one answers one major criticism against the board—that they are power-hungry.
If they were, they wouldn’t have given their members an avenue to unseat them.

However, the board members aren’t entirely blameless. Their handling of the resignation of Ricky Dakay and the issues his resignation letter raised gave their foes ammo.

They were wrong. They didn’t have to wait for a complaint before they issued their answer. And a statement is a statement even if it doesn’t go through the media. (Like I said, it’s my beef). They could have given theirs directly to the members.

Dakay’s resignation raised a valid question—the mishandling of funds. A copy of the letter was distributed to the community, raising yet another set of questions (Is whoever was distributing it, trying to sow intrigues? Why?).

But the board stayed silent, and just dared anyone who had questions to go to their office and just look at their books.

If I remember it right, Montayre and Aberasturi got most of the votes during the last election. That people are already talking of booting the two out means Montayre and Aberasutri, and the members who voted for them, have different ideas on what direction Cebu football should take.

I hope this Saturday’s congress will give them a chance to iron out that kink.

Cebu football is in turmoil, but holding a coup now isn’t the answer.