Monday, 4 October 2010

PFF to replace Martinez next month !

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is expected to have a new president next month.

Richard Montayre, Cebu Football Association (CFA) president, confirmed that the group will be having its new president by November when an �emergency� election will be held during the PFF Congress to replace Jose Mari Martinez, who has been accused of squandering the federation's funds in unathorized loans and investments.

The PFF Board of Governors comprised of 12 football association (FA) presidents or general secretaries coming from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao have asked Martinez to submit his irrevocable resignation last Monday in a board meeting last Sept. 25 in Manila. This came after after Martinez was not able to explain financial transactions he entered without the Board's approval.

The PFF Board of Governors is comprised of Luzon's Leopoldo Arnaiz (Baguio FA), Glenn Caritativo (Tarlac FA), Juan Luis Carpio (Naga FA), Jose Reneva (CamSur FA); Visayas' Mariano �Nonong� Araneta (Iloilo FA), Montayre, Carlos Cojuangco (Negros Occidental FA), Dick Emperado (Negros Oriental FA) and Mindanao's Rene Cosmod (DAVAO FA), Ramon Manlunas (Bukidnon FA), Flaviano Fucoy (Pagadian FA) and M'Lang Mayor Pinol (Cotabato FA).

Among the unexplained transactions of Martinez included a P1.5 million and another $10,000 to Tsai Henry, a former executive vice president of the PFF.

The Board also questioned a P300,000 payment Martinez made to Gworld, a promotions firm which allegedly has connections with his wife.

There were also allegations that Martinez had used the funding of the A27, an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) program for coaches which resulted to the coaches not receiving their salaries. The Board also found out that Martinez has bought shares of the Valle Verde Country Club.

They also questioned why he promised P20,000 subsidy to the 17 FA's in Mindanao in a summit he recently attended when this is not in the budget and was not brought up before the Board.

Cases are set to be filed against Martinez such as estafa and breach of contract.

Montayre said that the Board had a �gentlemen's agreement� with Martinez to allow him a graceful exit from the PFF via the resignation and in exchange all charges would be drop against him.

As of yesterday, the Board has not yet received Martinez's resignation letter which was due last Monday. With this, Montayre said they will pursue filing all the other cases against Martinez, who took over from Johnny Romuladez as PFF president in 2007 and would have served until 2011. /Correspondent Mars Alison

Cebu Daily News

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