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sputnik
Philippines
368 Posts |
 Posted - 15/05/2008 : 14:47:02
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Raya Sports: No permit needed for Mayor’s Cup
By June Navarro
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:56:00 05/15/2008
Raya Sports stood firm Wednesday on its belief that a permit from the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) was unnecessary when the outfit merely helped run the technical aspect of the just-concluded Philippine Pool Tour Mandaluyong Mayor’s Cup 10-Ball Championship.
In an email sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Raya Sports managing director JP Fenix said the role of Raya Sports in the tournament was mainly to provide support services in event management and it did not defy any law when the company failed to secure a GAB permit.
“This does not make us the promoter, otherwise, following your reporter’s logic, all companies who supplied trussing, lighting fixtures, tarpaulin banners, TV production and even janitorial services in the recent Cup all would have had to secure GAB permits,” said Fenix in reaction to a story published Wednesday.
GAB chairman Eric Buhain, however, maintained that running the technical aspect of a money event in sports did not exempt a party from the jurisdiction of the government regulatory agency.
“Look at the PBA [Philippine Basketball Association]. Even the ball boys and masseurs get their licenses from the GAB,” said Buhain. “It’s that simple.”
Fenix also said Raya Sports “is a licensed promoter and has secured permits from GAB for its events.”
“Not yet, as of today,” said Buhain. “He was probably talking about last year. But that permit expired after Dec. 31, 2007. That’s why I’m asking them to get [a license].”
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BSCP guys are too used to twisting things around power and arrogance. If Raya is merely supplying the event management, what was all that hullabaloo in claiming the tournament in many of the promotional press releases that Raya and BSCP came out with -- with no less than Makabenta himself writing them!
His column in AZBilliards on "Pool and Tourism" clearly says:
"The division of responsibility goes like this. The pool community led by the BSCP, Raya Sports and Star Billiards organizes the tournament, brings in the players, provides world-class billiards equipment, and runs the tournament professionally. The city government with the mayor in the lead takes care of venue, local support and mobilization of fans."
So they are the organizers who ran the tournament professionally! Passing on Promotions to Mayor Abalos?
Can someone tell me who the professional jerk is here? Just follow the rules and get that doggone permit! The least they could do is to spare your city host mayors from shameful issues. So was Abalos supposed to be the one to get the GAB permit? What an irresponsible mayor if he was the one who should have gotten the permit!
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decafblack
8 Posts |
Posted - 15/05/2008 : 15:43:24
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Well, this was just in GMA News.
Ridiculous
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In the interest of full disclosure: Raya is a sports events management organization of which I am Managing Director. It had successfully mounted the 2006 and 2007 World Pool Championships in the Philippines in partnership with Matchroom Sport of UK and ESPN-Star Sports. It had likewise mounted the country’s first ever National Pool Championship in 2006 and the National Pool Championship for both men and women pool players in 2007. Starting this year, Raya has secured for the Philippines its own World Pool franchise from the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA): the World Ten Ball Championship. But that’s another story. I write on this topic not to promote Raya, but to illustrate how an insanely funny situation experienced first hand has the most serious repercussions in the country’s sports development.
*******
TALK about the power of media. In one brief article, no more than 236 words, the Philippine Daily Inquirer had succeeded in projecting the Chairman of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) as the biggest backside in the Philippines.
Kawawa naman.
Flashback: The Inquirer reported in its sports section Wednesday, 14 May, that GAB chair Eric Buhain was going to order Raya Sports to cease and desist should it continue what it’s doing without getting a license from his agency. This was in anticipation for the coming Puerto Princesa leg of the Philippine Pool Tour (PPT) organized by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) and the respective local government unit (LGU), in this case the office of Mayor Edward Hagedorn.
Buhain was apparently smarting from the recently concluded opening leg of the PPT – The Mandaluyong Mayor’s Cup – which the BSCP organized with Mayor Ben-hur Abalos. The BSCP has consistently refused to get any GAB license for the simple reason that the BSCP and its events are not under GAB jurisdiction, being billiard sport’s National Sports Association (NSA). They have argued that if ever they are under any jurisdiction it would be under the Philippine Olympic Committee and under the supervision of the Philippine Sports Commission.
Should BSCP give in to GAB, then what of the NSAs of other sports like wushu, track and field, volleyball, lawn bowls and the like? These are just among the questions the BSCP has raised to the Senate. The legislature has resolved to investigate the matter and define GAB’s role or even relevance in the era of open sports.
So to avoid any snags to its project the Mandaluyong Mayor got the GAB permit, without prejudice, of course, to what will be settled with the legislature.
Buhain then appeared before the Philippine Sportswriters’ Association forum Tuesday and lashed back at BSCP. But in a surprising twist the Inquirer – and only the Inquirer – reported the next day that the GAB chair was training his guns at Raya Sports.
Balanced news…
THE Inquirer story said that “Raya Sports refused to get the necessary license” from Buhain’s agency and that it was “defying the law” by doing so.
In behalf of Raya I issued a letter to the Inquirer editor in chief when the report was published, basically saying: “With respect to the Mandaluyong Cup, the role of Raya Sports was mainly to provide support services in event management. This does not make us the promoter, otherwise, following your reporter’s logic, all the companies who supplied trussing, lighting fixtures, tarpaulin banners, TV production and even janitorial services in the recent Cup all would have had to secure GAB permits.”
This was quoted in the follow up story the next day, to which the Inquirer further sought Buhain’s reaction and reported that Buhain “maintained that running the technical aspect of a money event in sports doesn’t exempt a party from the jurisdiction of the government regulatory agency.”
The Inquirer report further quoted Buhain: “Look at the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) Even the ball boys and masseurs get their licenses from GAB…It’s that simple.”
Oh dear. Mang Hermie! Paki baba muna yung brush na panlinis mo nung mesa. Pati yung Pledge at basahan. Baka damputin ka ng GAB, wala kang lisensya, boy!
Well, in all fairness, I could get the license for poor Mang Hermie so that he can continue working. That’s P800 good for one year, as the Inquirer reported Buhain said. All I have to do is divert our budget, from Hermie and his crew’s Tasty loaf bread and Chizwhiz merienda to their GAB licenses.
Prrrrt…. Lisensya!
LET’S say I didn’t renew my driver’s license, I can’t and shouldn’t take out the car for a drive, right? That would be breaking the law.
But if I merely possessed an expired driver’s license, did I break the law?
If I purposely and willfully let my driver’s license expire, did I break the law?
If I let it remain expired and just stayed home and didn’t drive, did I break the law?
If I let my driver do the driving and I went out for a ride, did I break the law for having an expired license?
If I came out to the garage and washed and waxed the car, popped the hood and checked the oil and water levels and even vacuumed the car’s carpet, all with my expired driver’s license, did I break the law?
If I got into the driver’s seat, started the car and let it idle in my garage while having an expired license, did I break the law?
It is in the light of these questions that I view the conclusion of the Inquirer’s latest sports story with skepticism. Quoting my statement that “Raya is a licensed promoter and has secured permits from GAB for its events,” the Inquirer balances its act by counter-quoting Buhain with “Not yet as of today… He was probably talking about last year. But that permit expired after Dec. 31, 2007. That’s why I’m asking them to get (a license.)”
Get a GAB license, we probably will, if and when we do decide to drive. In the meantime, the BSCP and the LGU are driving the Philippine Pool Tour. Raya’s just here to do the washing and waxing. |
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decafblack
8 Posts |
Posted - 15/05/2008 : 15:54:58
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That was the by Raya's JP Fenix, by the way.
Here's another interesting tidbit, this time from the Philippine Senate
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC )
OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session
Introduced by Senators Lapid, Lacson, Aquino and Roxas
RESOLUTION
DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON GAMES, AMUSEMENT AND SPORTS OF
THE SENATE TO INQUIRE, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE ALLLEGED
UNDUE INTERFERENCE OF THE GAMES AND AMUSEMENT BOARD (GAB)
INTO THE POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES OF THE BILLIARDS AND
SNOOKER CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES, A DULY RECOGNIZED
NATIONAL SPORTS ASSOCIATION (NSA), WITH THE END IN VIEW OF
REVIEWING AND AMENDING THE PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF
PRESIDENTAL DECREE NO. 871 AND OTHER RELATED LAWS DEALING
WITH GAMES AND SPORTS
Whereas, the Billiard & Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) is the governing body for the sport of billiards and snooker in the Philippines. It is a private sports organization, recognized as the National Sport Association (NSA) for billiards and
snooker by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC);
Whereas, the Billiards & Snooker Congress of the Philippines scheduled a billiards tournament inviting, among others, top Filipino and foreign cue artists from around the world to be held on May 6-1 1 at Mandaluyong City and dubbed as “A Pool Journey Through the Archipelago.” Aptly titled “the Mandaluyong Mayor’s Cup, the
tournament is the inaugural event of the Philippine Pool Tour which is a joint project of the association with strategic cities in the country;
Whereas , said event is in danger of being postponed because of the Games and Amusements Board’s directive ordering the promoters to register and secure a license from GAB before staging the same under pain of sanction from the said agency;
Whereas, according to reports, this is not the first time that the GAB issued such directive. In 04 April 2008, the GAB issued a directive to Star Billiard Center, a partner organization of BSCP, ordering its owner to register and secure a permit for a pool tournament that it scheduled for that month, threatening to suspend the promoter and
players if they will stage or join the qualifying games and tournament not licensed or supervised by the GAB. It is worth mentioning that said tournament had been running for many years without interference from the government much less the GAB;
Whereas, in said directive, GAB chairman Eric Buhain categorically stated that the GAB is the only national government agency under the Office of the President mandated to regulate and supervise all sports and games in the country;
Whereas, GAB’S Resolution No. 98-1 0, entitled “Adopting Policy Guidelines for the Exercise of the Regulatory and Supervisory Powers of the Games and Amusement Board over Professional Sports” mandated that all tournaments offering cash prizes must secure an authority from the agency, and that all players joining the tournament are
considered de fuclo professionals and must therefore secure a GAB license:
Whereas, to malce matters worst, in a memorandum dated March 17, 2008, the GAB alleged that it has authority to supervise and regulate the selection of Filipino players for international competition, even in qualifying tournaments without cash prizes;
Whereas, according to the BSCP, the actions and directives of the GAB is not only discriminatory as such is not being applied to all sports and games but also impinges on sports freedom, contrary to the principle of open sports that has been recognized internationally since the 1992 Olympics;
Whereas, the BSCP maintains that considering the circumstances when
Presidential Decree No. 87 1 entitled “Placing Professional Basketball Games and other Professional Games under the Supervision and Regulation of the Games and Amusements Board was issued by then President Marcos, Le., the era when game fixing
and point shaving in professional basketball was rampant, which incidentally is the law being cited by the GAB as its source of authority, the organization is of the view that the
PD merely covers professional basketball and other professional games (professional boxing, horseracing and cockfighting) but not sports in general;
Whereas, BSCP also argues that the GAB’S basis for distinguishing professional players and amateur players -namely, playing with a salary or competing in an event that offers prize money has been overtaken by the era of open sports;
Whereas, under the era of open sports, it is a settled principle that an athlete becomes a professional for being paid to play and not for competing in an event with a cash prize and that a league tournament becomes professional because it explicitly desires
to be classified as professional;
Whereas, BSCP further contends that the demands of GAB that billiards players should secure a license annually in the amount of P950 is an unreasonable imposition onthe tens of thousands of Filipino billiard players, who can hardly make ends meet;
Wheereas, it seems that the GAB decision to supervise and regulate the sport of billiards is based mainly on its desire for revenues as it seeks from tournament organizers license fees, a percentage of gate receipts and a share of television revenues;
Whereas, this is an unfortunate and regrettable development in the promotion and further growth of billiards as a major sport wherein more and more Filipinos are trying to excel:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved to direct the
Committees on Games, Amusement and Sports of the Senate to investigate, in aid of legislation on the reported interference by the GAB on the work of a duly recognized national sports association, with the end in view of providing remedial legislations that
will clearly define the jurisdiction and authority of the GAB over national sports associations thereby further promoting sports freedom in the country.
Adopted,
PANFILO LACSON, Senator
BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, Senator
MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPID, Senator
MAR A. ROXAS, Senator
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sputnik
Philippines
368 Posts |
Posted - 15/05/2008 : 16:36:00
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A Senate inquiry is indeed in order. The structure of sports -- from the international olympic bodies to the local scene -- is indeed changing.
But what is important now is what the laws are at the present. If we will all act according to what ought to be because of a leverage in position and perhaps imagined power, then we will continue the confusion.
What is important is what is legal. Let the Senate decide if BSCP has proper mandate. The investigation will not rest on mere arguments. They will perhaps also look into the legal existence of BSCP in their SEC documents. BSCP has by-laws that has never been followed since the 1980's. No elections, no members, no nothing. Only rulers and partners in the private business sector. Maybe they will look into the subscriptions to NSA wherein three years of non-payment is grounds for expulsion. Maybe they will look into the COA reports since BSCP came to be - purchases of equipment and other stuff.
Good that the Senate will investigate. Maybe then, free enterprise among promoters will be more civil.
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decafblack
8 Posts |
Posted - 15/05/2008 : 17:12:24
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quote:
[i]Originally posted by sputnik[/i]
[br]A Senate inquiry is indeed in order. The structure of sports -- from the international olympic bodies to the local scene -- is indeed changing.
But what is important now is what the laws are at the present. If we will all act according to what ought to be because of a leverage in position and perhaps imagined power, then we will continue the confusion.
What is important is what is legal. Let the Senate decide if BSCP has proper mandate. The investigation will not rest on mere arguments. They will perhaps also look into the legal existence of BSCP in their SEC documents. BSCP has by-laws that has never been followed since the 1980's. No elections, no members, no nothing. Only rulers and partners in the private business sector. Maybe they will look into the subscriptions to NSA wherein three years of non-payment is grounds for expulsion. Maybe they will look into the COA reports since BSCP came to be - purchases of equipment and other stuff.
Good that the Senate will investigate. Maybe then, free enterprise among promoters will be more civil.
will putch puyat like that? wasn't he playing godfather in the nsa all that time, and the officially elected board only constituted since 2005 -- the sea games? |
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EC Reyes
Philippines
820 Posts |
Posted - 15/05/2008 : 18:39:58
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Puro satsat, bottom line is the top players won't play in BSCP/RAYA events and everybody will just be kept reminded of that. And no one and not any ASSociation can force them to. SO waste your saliva as you wish! No artists no show! LOL!!
Hey, it doesn't really matter who will like it or not. It's but who's right or who's wrong. We'll soon find out. |
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elias
Philippines
334 Posts |
Posted - 16/05/2008 : 10:14:08
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| In case anyone missed it, the Senate Resolution above looks at disfavor against the GAB. Just have a good look. Remember, these are the lawmakers already (together with the House of Representatives). They can legislate away even the very existence of the GAB. Personally, I'm Laissez-faire, and I have a suspicion that that will be the policy. |
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EC Reyes
Philippines
820 Posts |
Posted - 16/05/2008 : 10:26:10
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| Not in the history of our country was ever a time that any association won over the players. Players will stand witness to why GAB needs to regulate and supervise PROFESSIONAL Billiards/POOL in this country. Dodong got his Prize Money check today but post dated for Wednesday next week. Is this what they mean by "immediate payment" of prizes? Good Luck to BSCP/RAYA because Senate/Congress/Courts don't side against the masses specially if they are evidently mistreated. |
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sputnik
Philippines
368 Posts |
Posted - 16/05/2008 : 13:17:07
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quote:
[i]Originally posted by elias[/i]
[br]In case anyone missed it, the Senate Resolution above looks at disfavor against the GAB. Just have a good look. Remember, these are the lawmakers already (together with the House of Representatives). They can legislate away even the very existence of the GAB. Personally, I'm Laissez-faire, and I have a suspicion that that will be the policy.
Elias, what the Senate Resolution says is that there are complaints against GAB by BSCP and the senators have resolved to investigate it. Period.
Another case of shooting themselves in the foot, this BSCP. The investigation will easily shift from GAB to the complainants. There are too many legal violations by BSCP over the years. GAB defiance is just one of them. Many will testify against BSCP. There is word that a superstar pool player will go all-out in media for a signature campaign from BSCP's so called constituents for BSCP's ouster as an NSA. Signatures will be solicited from the pool houses around the country.
Their stupidity is truly admirable. Had they kept mum about the Senate petition to investigate, they would have prevented counter moves by BMPAP to do them in before Senate even starts the actual investigation. Because of their early flaunting of a mere resolution to investigate, by the time Senate starts investigating, the senators will surely have to see the complainants in a different perspective. Ouch!
Again, if you just take a good look, not very intelligent because Senate can legislate away the very existence of BSCP. You have to see the forest and not the trees. Someone please tell that to BSCP. |
Edited by - sputnik on 16/05/2008 13:39:13 |
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atanaciosalvador
67 Posts |
Posted - 16/05/2008 : 15:10:48
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Hay naku, Edwin Reyes. Who are you kidding? You’re just hanging out with the big boys because you’ve got nothing. The truth is: YOU ARE NOTHING.
You hang around Putch Puyat and Perry Mariano, acting as their spokesman, because you are nothing and have nothing. You’re not even qualified to be a fan of their players.
You fancy yourself a cue maker, but nobody uses your cues. If you’re so great, why don’t Perry’s and Putch’s boys use your cues?
You’re just the bird on the carabao’s back who thinks he’s taller that the carabao. And the remora stuck under the great white shark, feeding off the monster’s crumbs.
You get your lies out into the press, internet forums and even TV, but when confronted with the truth you buckle.
I pity you when this whole thing goes to the real forums like The House, Senate or in the libel cases that will be filed against you in court. You can’t lie there, or else it’s perjury – and that means jail time.
You think Perry and Putch will stand by you when those things finally happen? Ha! They will be the first ones to abandon you.
Remember, don’t drop the soap when you’re bathing together with a hundred or so inmates!
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Classic BSCP BS in Raya Inquirer Statement
