Fair Play: It's time to kick Martinez out of the PFF
THERE’s a brewing war between PFF president Mari Martinez and the Cebu Football Association and I hope it will result to Martinez getting sacked and being held accountable for the funds the organized used while he is office.
Martinez sent a scathing letter last Aug. 3 to CFA president Richard Montayre, calling the Cebuano an arrogant, stubborn man who has poor comprehension of the English language.
That letter was the result of CFA’s numerous inquiries to the Asian Football Confederation on where the AFC Vision Asia funds for Cebu went, because they suspect thse were being held by the PFF.
Since they don’t trust the PFF president, the office was naturally bypassed.
Martinez, obviously, wasn’t pleased, hence that letter.
(By the way, the PFF president shouldn’t be pissed about being bypassed. It’s what he did to the CFA when he offered the management of the RP U14 team to a Cebu club, didn’t he?
When that club told me of that news, I told them, “Ayaw’g dawata hantud wala pa gihatag ni Martinez ang tanan niyang gisaad.”)
Montayre, too, wasn’t pleased. Aside from telling the PFF president to get his facts straight, he wrote, “This clearly (shows) a lack of commitment and support from the PFF to the CFA, (there is a) lack of transparency of the PFF, not only to the CFA, but also to the rest of the 32 football associations in the country.”
Bravo!
Finally, someone has the guts to call a spade, a spade.
Finally, someone has the guts to stand up to Martinez.
Will we be rid of him, finally?
Though Montayre fell short of calling for Martinez’s resignation, I hope that letter, also sent to the 32 FAs, is enough to wake the slumbering associations from their stupor—Philippine football is dead and Martinez is to blame.
The last time I checked, PFF gets close to P25 million a year from Fifa, AFC, and the AFF but had zero national tournaments since Martinez took over.
That’s excluding half of the P10 million the AFC gave to Martinez in 2008, the year when grumblings of his allged mismanagement of the PFF surfaced and moves to have him ousted, started.
That move died.
I was so pissed with how a key figure in that oust Martinez movement, suddenly sang praises to Martinez. That’s when I started to lose interest in anything related to Philippine football—let them gorge themselves to death for all I care.
Now, there is hope.
It’s time to kick Martinez out of the PFF!
But to be realistic, though, because he is the still the PFF president, Martinez can still cling to power—think Gloria with a smaller budget—and can and will pressure the CFA for vengeance.
But the CFA shouldn’t be worried. What’s the worst the PFF can do?
Ban Cebu from national tournaments? There’s none! Ban anybody from Cebu from joining the RP team? That will only fuel the fire.
It’s too sad that the missing AFC Vision Asia funds have forced the CFA to freeze its projects in Cebu.
But fret not. I just learned this week good things come to those who wait.
So I’m pretty sure the CFA will have its work cut out for them as they try to promote grassroots development in the province of Cebu—something the PFF should be doing for the whole country.
Darn, I’d better fire off my own letter, too.
P.S. By the way, just in case my English wasn’t clear enough:
It’s time to kick Martinez out of the PFF! It’s time to kick Martinez out of the PFF! It’s time to kick Martinez out of the PFF!
Martinez sent a scathing letter last Aug. 3 to CFA president Richard Montayre, calling the Cebuano an arrogant, stubborn man who has poor comprehension of the English language.
That letter was the result of CFA’s numerous inquiries to the Asian Football Confederation on where the AFC Vision Asia funds for Cebu went, because they suspect thse were being held by the PFF.
Since they don’t trust the PFF president, the office was naturally bypassed.
Martinez, obviously, wasn’t pleased, hence that letter.
(By the way, the PFF president shouldn’t be pissed about being bypassed. It’s what he did to the CFA when he offered the management of the RP U14 team to a Cebu club, didn’t he?
When that club told me of that news, I told them, “Ayaw’g dawata hantud wala pa gihatag ni Martinez ang tanan niyang gisaad.”)
Montayre, too, wasn’t pleased. Aside from telling the PFF president to get his facts straight, he wrote, “This clearly (shows) a lack of commitment and support from the PFF to the CFA, (there is a) lack of transparency of the PFF, not only to the CFA, but also to the rest of the 32 football associations in the country.”
Bravo!
Finally, someone has the guts to call a spade, a spade.
Finally, someone has the guts to stand up to Martinez.
Will we be rid of him, finally?
Though Montayre fell short of calling for Martinez’s resignation, I hope that letter, also sent to the 32 FAs, is enough to wake the slumbering associations from their stupor—Philippine football is dead and Martinez is to blame.
The last time I checked, PFF gets close to P25 million a year from Fifa, AFC, and the AFF but had zero national tournaments since Martinez took over.
That’s excluding half of the P10 million the AFC gave to Martinez in 2008, the year when grumblings of his allged mismanagement of the PFF surfaced and moves to have him ousted, started.
That move died.
I was so pissed with how a key figure in that oust Martinez movement, suddenly sang praises to Martinez. That’s when I started to lose interest in anything related to Philippine football—let them gorge themselves to death for all I care.
Now, there is hope.
It’s time to kick Martinez out of the PFF!
But to be realistic, though, because he is the still the PFF president, Martinez can still cling to power—think Gloria with a smaller budget—and can and will pressure the CFA for vengeance.
But the CFA shouldn’t be worried. What’s the worst the PFF can do?
Ban Cebu from national tournaments? There’s none! Ban anybody from Cebu from joining the RP team? That will only fuel the fire.
It’s too sad that the missing AFC Vision Asia funds have forced the CFA to freeze its projects in Cebu.
But fret not. I just learned this week good things come to those who wait.
So I’m pretty sure the CFA will have its work cut out for them as they try to promote grassroots development in the province of Cebu—something the PFF should be doing for the whole country.
Darn, I’d better fire off my own letter, too.
P.S. By the way, just in case my English wasn’t clear enough:
It’s time to kick Martinez out of the PFF! It’s time to kick Martinez out of the PFF! It’s time to kick Martinez out of the PFF!
Comments
The problem and you well know this that politicians and NSA Presidents seem to be able to survive against all the odds keeping quiet until the smoke clears and the contorversy dies down. But Mike this one should not be allowed to die down. Through the Sun Star group you should be able to get this story on the sports pages of all the nation wide group including Manila. Mike isnt Henson a columnist of some sort with SunStar periodically? He would be the one to break it in Manila or is he aligned with the PFF. Then if not him maybe Frank Calapre can do it instead. The nationals have the advantage over the provincial papers due to their wider coverage but here SunStar can do something to even the balance a little. It's time mike. I remember a political slogan from the past Mike (dont remember who . . possibly Cory) but it sure fits the bill here. TAMANA - PALITAN NA - SOBRE NA. A straight RED card is the only decision to be made by the GOB for Mari Martinez.
WOW mike I wish I was back in Cebu for this stouch. It wouold be good to follow it from close quarters not being so far away.
Hey there, Graeme, can we seek your Tasmanian devil at this guy?
Outside of Cedelf Tupas, who now works for PDI and a fellow Ilonggo, I don't know of any other reporter to cover the Tiger Cup, twice in fact: 1998 in Vietnam (where Cutillas was coach and - guess who? - Mari was the team manager) and 2000 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when Alicante was the coach.
I am privileged to have called the late PFF gen-sec Cris Monfort as my friend. He did a lot for RP football then, too bad he died young.
If your have still have those documents in PDF would be obliged if you can send them to my e-mail. May use them for a column piece for People's Tonight one of these days.
Best Regards,
Bong
Despite very alarming revelations of corruption such as but not limited to the use of PFF funds to pay for Martinez rental for his residential condo unit, to pay for his personal credit card expenses, expenses for car accessories, signing rights in Valle Verde Country Club for himself and his personal associates, and investing PFF funds in gambling activities by loaning football funds to casino financiers etc, a number of the PFF BOARD members have blocked moves to call an emergency meeting or a special board meeting to call for an immediate investigation and take necessary measures to ending looting, abusive, and corruptive practices of Martinez.
Leopoldo C. Arnaiz - President- Baguio FA, Flaviano S. Fucoy, III - President- Zamboanga Sur FA, Glen Troy S. Caritativo -President- Tarlac FA, Renato E. Cosmod - President- Davao Norte and Joselito F. Pinol - President- North Cotabato should all be charged with knowingly and willfully assents to patently corruptive practices. They are likewise equally quilty of gross negligence or bad faith in directing the affairs of the PFF.
Their action in refusing to sign a formal call for a SPECIAL BOG MEETING should support the charges.
In addition, we should keep an extra watchful eye on Ramon B. Manlunas - President- Bukidnon FA and Jose V. Reniva - President- Camarines Norte FA. These two presidents signed the formal call for a Special Board Meeting but it has been reported that both seems to be incommunicado a few days before and after their very recent trip to Kuala Lumpur which included other Board Loyalist such as Aranaiz, Fucoy, and Cosmod and of course PFF Prexy Martinez. The purpose and objective of the trip is still undisclosed.
A few days after their arrival from KL Martinez was overheard by a PFF employee almost bragging to an officer of another Provincial FA na “LUSOT NA AKO SA KASO, HAWAK KO NA ANG BOG”.
A public appeal to Juan Luis Z. Carpio - President- Camarines Sur FA and Carlos O. Cojuangco - President- Negros Occidental FA to become active rather than passive or disengaged Board Members. You are not seating as representatives for your FA but representing and protecting the interest of the Visaya and Luzon Group.
More, someone must also look into the background of Mr. Henry Tsai. Tsai has been a long time associate of Mr. Martinez. His involvement in the PFF affairs is not accidental. It has been reported that presently the friendship between Martinez and Tsai has fallen apart -----money issues being the cause of the break up. Confirmed reports from very reliable sources have affirmed that Tsai has a long list of estafa cases filed with the NBI. Should this individual be trusted with PFF Funds? Would it be in the interest of the corporation to have Tsai as a signatory to PFF bank accounts especially when the PFF has no system on checks and balances.
Last Aug 11, 2010 he PFF received from FIFA it share for a one-time bonus payment to member associations for 2010, the equivalent to the regular yearly payment of USD 250,000 for each member association under the FIFA FAP Program. The Bonus is supposed to come in two payments---50% to be disbursed on Aug 11, 2010 and the balance on June 30, 2011. But should a member association request to receive the bonus in one installment such is possible upon a written request by July 31, 2010. With Martinez greed it is most likely that he requested for a one time installment and that the PFF must have now in their accounts the full bonus of USD 250,000.
Question is will it be Martinez or Philippine Football that will benefit from this bonus. There is no doubt unless the Board acts NOW the USD 250,000 will not go to Football Development but to Martinez and to his cohorts.