PFF prexy wants CFA issue settled Asap

By Cheska D. Geli

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

PHILIPPINE Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta already advised the committees in charge to decide this week on the the election-related protest
questioning the selection of the new Cebu Football Association board.

PFF forwarded the matter to its membership and legal committee for decision but until now, there has been no word from them. This is prolonging CFA’s wait as holds the recognition of the new officers.

“Sinabihan ko na sila dapat within this week para masabihan na yung Cebu sa desisyon ng PFF,” said Araneta.

Sun. Star Cebu had tried to contact Atty. Edwin Gastanes from the legal committee but he could not be reached for comment.

Araneta, who had just returned from a trip abroad, also said he doesn’t know the person who filed the protest. He added that while it was an official protest that they need to act on, he thinks it could have been settled in the FA level.

Araneta said that what happened should not set a precedent in future complain ts. He believed that the issue should be first settled in local football associations before it goes to the PFF.

“They should first have made the protest doon sa mga nanalo na officers,” he said.

Even if there was a representative from the PFF through lawyer Gastanes in the elections held last March, he emphasized that the lawyer acted only as an observer of the elections.

Araneta added that PFF cannot act on the matter unless the local FA exhausted efforts in amending the issue.

He believes the problem on the CFA elections should have been resolved internally.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on June 14, 2012.