THE law is on Chito Narvasa’s side. A fact that is truer than June Mar Fajardo’s MVP reign in the just-ended PBA Season 42.
Funny, but not even seven of the 12 PBA members have the power to remove Narvasa as PBA Commissioner.
They knew it—TNT, Meralco, NLEx, Alaska, Rain or Shine, Blackwater and Phoenix. Yet, they tried—and they were but humbled, if not humiliated, by the five other members who blocked their oust-Narvasa ploy.
It mattered, of course, that Narvasa is a lawyer.
But even if one weren’t a lawyer, he will easily understand the spirit of the PBA law: It needs eight of the 12 PBA members to remove a commissioner.
It is also the same law that can retain Narvasa as commissioner after his term expires in one year.
In short, eight votes are needed to either retain or remove Narvasa.
In the just-ended power struggle, San Miguel Beer, Ginebra, Star, GlobalPort and Kia were the five members who opposed the seven anti-Narvasa faction.
It is easy to sift through the essence of the PBA law.
The commissioner is somewhat shielded from the whims and caprices easily afforded by the power of a simple majority: seven of 12. At least it is harder to muster eight votes in order to oust a commissioner.
But still and all, firing a commissioner because of a perceived sin of bias or something is definitely sending the wrong signal to the public. It gives the impression of the PBA being a weak foundation. Losing faith in someone, resulting primarily in a spur of the moment outburst, does not speak well of our so-called captains of industry. Isn’t the commissioner supposed to embody the bedrock of a solid institution?
At least the five pro-Narvasa bloc, for its level-headedness and fortitude, showed us that all is not lost amid the din of mental clashes in the heat of the moment.
There seems to be a modicum of a ceasefire now between the opposing parties, thanks mainly to the Fantastic 5’s calming effect of extending the so-called olive branch on the Suicidal 7.
Next would be seeing Narvasa join the PBA Planning Trip to the US on Nov. 14?
Think positive, fellas. We are kids, no more.