Fair Play: Is the PFF sitting on Cebu's membership?

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on June 4)
SO, tell me, who�s the legitimate new Cebu Football Association president? 


Ricky Dakay?


Wrong!


Richard Montayre?


Wrong!


Who is it?



Your guess is as good as mine.  I know the new board has elected Ricky as the new president, replacing the outgoing president Richard Montayre, but it seems the Philippine Football Federation won�t recognize them.


In a letter to Joey Herrera, the new secretary general of the CFA (or not, if you ask the PFF) it seems a protest was filed regarding the elections and the new board can�t be recognized.


�In as much as there were protests filed regarding the elections, this Office is constrained to refer the matter to our Membership Committee...pleased be advised that we are now awaiting their resolution,� PFF sec-gen Rolando Tulay said.


So, this brings me to the question. Who are our CFA officers? The new one or the old one?


And who filed the protest?  According to the new board, the PFF won�t tell them who and that certainly is weird.  If somebody is protesting your election, shouldn�t you have the right to face him? So you can answer him?


What gives, PFF?


Of course, the old board, headed by Richard Montayre, is the ideal suspect. But I won�t go that far.  Last time I heard, Richard was already talking about turning over the control of the CFA to the present board.


�Even if I�m not around, there�s no problem with me as long as it (turnover) will be done properly and the other ex-board members are present,� Richard told our reporter Cheska Geli on May 10.


So for Richard, he has no problems with the turnover, and he�s already calling the former board members as �ex-board members,� so that means he recognizes the results of the elections.


So if it�s not Richard, or any of the former board members who filed the protest, then who?


And it�s already June, and the new board has a lot of plans in the next few weeks, including hosting a UFL game and a friendly with Loxwood FC, a club from England.


Does that mean they won�t have the authority to sanction it? They won�t be able to tap our top referees for it? Remember, our Fifa-refs�our best officials who should be officiating in games like these�are only allowed to officiate in PFF sanctioned matches.


How then, can the PFF sanction such matches if the CFA�the local body�is, until now, not recognize by the PFF?  


Have them sanction by the old board? That�s a crazy idea that�s going to open a can of worms.


So, what gives PFF?


The letter to Herrera was dated May 28, the CFA election was held on March 31 and all this time, the PFF membership committee hasn�t come up with a decision?


Are they really that busy or is it that hard to decide on this matter?


The decision on Matt Hartmann came out about six months after the initial complaint and the delay, while painful to the player, his club and family, only affected them.


This delay on the protest regarding the CFA elections is going to hurt one whole province, one that has a very active football community.


Things like these makes you wonder, do some of the guys in the PFF know what they are doing? Do they know what their inaction can result to?


I mean, how hard could it be to get to the bottom of the CFA elections? They had a representative, they have a line to the former board members, and the present board members are in Manila every weekend for their UFL match!


If they really wanted to, a week after the elections, they could have called Richard Montayre, the new officers and their representatives and come up with their decision.


What�s holding them? Other issues involving the membership committee? And these issues are�what? Prior commitments?


The CFA elections was held on March 31, more than TWO effin' months ago!