Tulay quits as PFF sec-gen

AMID rumors he was allegedly involved in a hazing ritual with a new Philippine Football Federation staff, Atty. Rolando Tulay resigned as PFF secretary general over the weekend, citing the need to focus on his duties as president of the National Capital Region Football Association.



“There is no other reason for my resignation except my focusing on the NCRFA. There is no truth whatsoever to that allegation,” Tulay was quoted as saying in a statement posted on the InterAKTV sports news website yesterday, referring to the alleged hazing.


Malaya-Business Insight tried to reach him by his cell phone, to no avail.


PFF president Mariano Araneta Jr. yesterday confirmed Tulay resigned, effective last Oct. 31 but dismissed allegations Tulay was involved in a hazing ritual.


“This is mere speculation. No such thing occurred but we allowed Atty. Tulay to resign because he needs to focus on his duties as NCRFA president as well as being a member of the PFF Board of Governors,” Araneta said.


He added PFF legal counsel Ed Castanes will be be the acting PFF general secretary starting Nov. 1.


The report, quoting unnamed “witnesses,” claimed Tulay “presided over a hazing incident to initiate Ariel Serrantes, a new employee, into the PFF. It said the incident occurred during a party for an outgoing PFF employee at the federation’s office building in Pasig City.


“According to people who were there, Tulay brandished his paddle during the party, hinting about what he planned to do with it,” the report said.


Tulay suited up for the University of the Philippines-Diliman Integrated School football team then enrolled at the state university to pursue his law degree. He was the Grand Archon of the Sigma Rho fraternity in 1997.


Tulay managed the Sunken Garden United Football Club and UP Maroons men’s football team that captured the UAAP championship in 2008.

Meanwhile, Araneta has urged Phil and James Younghusband to leave for the Philippine Azkals’ training camp in Bahrain earlier so they can gear up for the squad’s tune-up match against the Bahrain national team on Friday.


“We are urging the Younghusband brothers to leave for Bahrain on Tuesday, and not on Wednesday as they have planned,” Araneta said. “If they leave Wednesday, they arrive early morning on Thursday and may have little time to rest for the Friday friendly with Bahrain.


“This might leave the brothers susceptible to injuries and this is something we want our players to avoid with the AFF Suzuki Cup so very close.”


Except for the Younghusbands, the national squad left for Bahrain last Sunday as part of the homestretch preparations for the Suzuki Cup, the Southeast Asian men’s football championship, kicking off in Thailand and Malaysia in late November.


The Younghusbands were scheduled to arrive yesterday from Singapore with the other members of the Loyola Meralco Sparks that lost 0-5 in their two-game Singapore Cup semifinal series against the Tampines Rovers.


The Rovers shut out the Sparks 2-0 in the first match and 3-0 in the second held last Sunday.


The Filipino-British siblings were dropped from the Azkals squad that topped the recent Philippine Peace Cup

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