An Open Letter to Dr. Borislav Stankovic

December 27, 2008

Dr. Borislav Stankovic
Secretary General Emeritus
Federacion Internationale de Basketball (FIBA)

Dear Dr. Stankovic:

A Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to you and your family.

Last night (December 26), Dr. Carl Menky Ching surprised me with a
call.  I was happy to talk to him after having not communicated with
him for a long time.

Dr. Ching sent out his Christmas greetings, rekindled our friendship
through the years then mentioned the purpose of his call. It was about
my criticism of the two FIBA clowns, Patrick Baumann (secretary-general)
and Bob Elphinston (president).

Actually, I was not keen to discuss this topic with Dr. Ching. It is
my personal belief that Dr. Ching, a truly friend whom I respect
deeply, should never be involved in anyway with my battle against
Patrick and Bob, who have not been performing to the best interest of
the FIBA.

This is my own battle and I intend to fight this battle till my last breath.

Nonetheless, I will personally visit Dr. Ching in Hong Kong next week.
I will tell him my side of the story and hand to him pertinent
documents related to the mischief and wrongdoings of Patrick and Bob
whom the vast majority of basketball-loving Filipinos so despise
because of their poor handling and interference of our basketball
association in the Philippines.

Dr. Ching informed me that you had asked him to tell me to stop
attacking Patrick and Bob.  I told Carl that it was impossible to do
that.  Much as I respect him, I can't and I won't. Nonetheless, I
remain loyal to Carl since we have known each other for more than two
decades.

Maybe I will change my mind but only after Carl has seen the damaging
documents I have against Bob and Patrick. I will also inform him about
their discrimination and racist stance against Asian people. I intend
to ask Dr. Ching to support my cause through his organization, the
United World Chinese Association, of which I am also a member.

In our telephone conversation, I likewise told him that I could no
longer rely on the support of our fellow Asian Dato' Yeoh Choo Hock,
who apparently is now beholden to Patrick and Bob because he has to
protect his own interests in FIBA Asia.

When I last attended the FIBA Asia Executive Board in Iran on August
31, 2008, Dato' seemed confused on his own stand regarding the recent
election held to choose the new leadership in the BAP-SBP. Our group held
the election in accordance with the Bangkok Agreement signed on
February 4, 2007 in Thailand.

Why has Dato' changed colors? Maybe it's because he could not afford
to go against the greedy Baumann, who manipulated and conspired with a
moneyed faction in our country to destroy a FIBA family (BAP) of more
than 70 years.  How immoral can he be? And at what price is this?

Every time I go abroad, the FIBA or FIBA Asia does not spend a single
centavo on my airfare. In contrast, the FIBA spends as much as it
wishes for members of the FIBA Central Board.

When I attended the FIBA Youth Commission meeting in Geneva in
November 2007, I paid for my own ticket.  Worse, Baumann verbally
abused me during a dinner upon my arrival. Showing his racist color,
he cracked insulting jokes that put me in a bad light then questioned
my personal document and identity by belittling Asian, particularly
Chinese people.

Shame on him.

Then came along this nice-guy, sweet-talking Bob Elphinston,
replacement of Dr. Ching as FIBA President. Bob seemingly does not
respect Carl enough even if the latter had   served the FIBA from 2002
to 2006 with utmost dedication. It was also Dr. Ching who approved
Baumann's 12-year contract to work for the FIBA family as
secretary-general.

Now you see Baumann discrediting and destroying the Basketball
Association of the Philippines (BAP) and suspending the organization
for more than two years without any justifiable reason. Dr. Ching
recommended to Baumann that the suspension be lifted but the despotic
Baumann disregard Dr. Ching's advise in February 2006.Baumann
certainly does not know what decency is all about. All he cares is
what is it for him financially.

Baumann interfered in our internal affair even if he knew very well
that it was our Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) that was to be
blamed in our basketball leadership squabble.  The head of the POC
went to the FIBA office in Geneva and worse, Baumann signed a
Memorandum of Agreement with them in September 2005 as if it was the
POC that was the FIBA member, and not the BAP.

Of course, Baumann did it for his own interests as well. Baumann
wanted to be in the good graces of the POC to be able to attract
another vote in his desire to become an IOC member.

Again, Dr. Ching was never consulted or took part in the MOA process.
Talk of ingratitude, Baumann's is the quintessential example. He had
conveniently forgotten that it was Dr. Carl Ching who was instrumental
in Baumann's eventual election as IOC member. Dr. Ching had seen the
need for a basketball representative in the IOC and recommended
Baumann for that position.

I have received a lot of e-mails praising me in my crusade for what is
right and truthful.

Mr. Stankovic, I respect you enough that I have not spoken ill of you.
I have known you as far back as in 1998 when we were together in
Malaysia and Hong Kong at different times.

Only once was I surprised by your comments sometime in August 2001 in
Saitama, Japan where I attended the FIBA Junior Men Championship.  You
had asked Dato' Yeoh if the BAP president Tiny Literal was really a
Filipino, and not a Chinese. You had wanted Mr. Literal to see you
personally in Japan during the final day of the competitions (a Sunday
it was) just to prove he was really a Filipino.

It was Dato' who informed me of your request that Mr. Literal and I
pay you a visit to Japan. The request came way too late as it was
nearly impossible to get an entry visa on short notice.  Yet, we
managed to secure our visas and get to Japan on time.

In seeking his personal appearance, it was crystal clear that all of
you wanted was to confirm if Mr. Literal was really a Filipino. For
whatever reason you had in mind, I decided not to take issue with you
even if I really believed there was a racial undertone to it.

During that meeting in Saitama, you told me, "You don't trust me, you
don't trust me."  I was taken aback by your statement.  My reply was
that it was not all about trust.  It was about confidence (or the lack
of it) in our leadership. We had had some financial problems at the
time, having to spend a fortune for six elections in a period of eight
months to resolve the leadership crisis.  Yet you wanted another
election to be held, as if you believed the process was not credible.

Even then, I followed your advice.  And so another election was called
and the result turned out to be the same – Mr. Literal once again won
as BAP president.

Had Baumann not suspended the BAP on July 3, 2005, the problem that we
experience today might have been avoided.

Details of Baumann's own investigation on the matter, which was
favorable to the BAP, are all documented in his letters to the POC and
BAP in July and August of the same year (2005).

According to Baumann, the suspension against the BAP was meant to
pressure the POC to reinstate the BAP as a member. For that reason,
our group agreed.  However, such case did not happen, the POC
continued to harass the BAP and subsequently sought its demise.

Recently, I was kicked out of the FIBA Youth Commission. It was done
without any due process, which according to any human being. It's a
surprise that Baumann does not honor this principle even if he claim
he is a lawyer.

Patrick and Bob connived to dismiss me days before the BAP-SBP
members/stakeholders were to call for a National Congress on May 17,
2008 and hold elections on June 4, 2008. On record, Congressman Luis
Villafuerte was elected BAP-SBP chairman and Honorable Prospero Pichay
was elected BAP-SBP president in accordance with the Bangkok
Agreement.

For your information, Mr. Stankovic, I refused to take any position in
the BAP-SBP organization. Until now, I am not a BAP-SBP official.

Like the moneyed head of the other BAP-SBP faction that he favors to
protect his own interests, Baumann was a signatory to the Bangkok
Agreement. Now, Baumann conveniently disregards the legal document.

Baumann chose to recognize the another group that did not have even a
quorum during its bogus elections on June 12, 2008.

The bogus lawyer that he is, Baumann shamelessly does not care if what
he did was morally wrong and despicable. This does not speak well of a
FIBA official or leader.

Add to the fact that he has a personal stake in his decision to side
with the other group.  He had hoped to cash in with his marketing
schemes not for the benefit of the FIBA family but rather for his
personal gain.

Even Dato' Yeoh can't seem to protect the interest of our FIBA Asia
members.  I once respected his person but now I am having second
thoughts.

I am a righteous man of principles. I will never allow my family and I
to be disrespected by high-handed people who looked down on Asians.

The Chinese Overseas Brotherhood has already committed its unequivocal
support to my cause.

And when I visit Dr. Ching in Hong Kong early next week, I will
explain the controversy-related events that occurred from 2005 to this
day.

I also hope to get the full support of the United World Chinese
Association in Beijing.

Mr. Stankovic, I don't know why I should stop now, for I have just
started my campaign.  My honor can't be bought and my principles can
never be compromised.

It is Bob and Patrick who have a lot of explaining to do, especially
Bob, who will be the subject of my letter soon. Patrick, on the other
hand, should explain truthfully how much he has benefited from the
dubious marketing schemes he has had with other organizations.

If there is some decency left in them, Patrick and Bob should consider
resignation from the FIBA family for their incompetence and racist
attitude toward the Chinese and other Asian people.

Long before I personally beg to Baumann's compassion to lift the
suspension on the BAP but was ignored without any conscience.

With the support of many righteous persons, "I intend to win this war".

Dr. Stankovic, you will be receiving this letter through electronic
mail addressed to the FIBA office. You may want to know that the
shameless Baumann, who has been harassing the BAP people for so many
years, even had the nerve to deny our access to the FIBA office by
blocking or cutting of facsimile telephone lines from the FIBA list.

Dr. Stankovic, the truth hurts. Then again, only the truth shall set
all of us free.

After reading this letter, I hope you yourself will be more enlightened.

Rest assured you will hear from me again in a week's time. Take care.

Respectfully yours,


GRAHAM C. LIM
Secretary-General
Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP)

L-R: Dr. Carl Men Ky Ching (FIBA President); Borislav Stankovic (FIBA secretary-general); Dato' Yeoh Choo Hock (FIBA Asia secretary-general); and Graham C. Lim (FIBA Asia Executive Board Member). The photo was taken in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.