January 28, 2010
 
My dear fellow BAP family and friends:
 
          A Prosperous New Year to you and your family in Peace!
 
          Since the start of the damaging campaign by the POC leadership against the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) in early 2005, the BAP, as a whole, has not given up the fight, except for a few people who turned their backs against the organization to align with the moneyed-manuela.
 
          For these Judases, I say good riddance.  The BAP is better off without them, much as it allowed us to cleanse our ranks of ill-reputed men and women who do not value principle and honor and share in our vision and mission.

         There were some familiar names in the national secretariat and regional officer that broke bread with us night in and night out during the good old times, but shamelessly left us in perilous times and moved over to the other side for several pieces of silver.

          While we try to understand those who might have switched sides in order to have food on their tables, take care of their family’s financial needs and considering the taking advantages of the situation because of personal apprehension only, I cannot but admire the many other people among us who are made of sterner stuff and continue to carry the torch for the BAP despite heavy financial constraints.
         
         They are the honorable men and women from the various league-organizations the BAP is very proud of.  Money, to them, is not everything.  Their principles, after all, do not carry a price. 

         Our struggle for what is right, just and fair in the fight for the local basketball leadership continues to this day.  It knows no bounds or limits.  Deep in our hearts we know that justice will prevail in the end. 
     
          I vividly remembered these words of Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte, BAP Chairman, when he was cautioning me, who said: “you will not know the ecstasy of success until you will know the ecstasy of your traitor“.
 
          Everybody knows I will never ever give up the fight. That’s because our fight is not guided by material greed but rather it is founded on principles.
          
          The people who are trying to destroy the BAP, such as the corrupt and incompetent officials from the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the nondescript so called SBP, simply do not value principles. For them, everything revolves around financial considerations, materialism and just about any Juan can be bought – for a hefty sum.
 
           How wrong they are.  And I am the living proof of this falsehood.
 
           My imprisonment since December 7, 2009 has been traced to the machination of the limp-wrist telecommunication business person, who is well known to buy off influential government officials to get whatever he wants, rightly or wrongly. This gay does not fight on a levelled field, be it in sports or businesses he has engaged in.
 
           I pity those officials from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and Department of Justice (DOJ) officials who have sold their souls to this moneyed-manuela but corrupt businessman in exchange for financial favors or political campaign funds for their greediness and  dirty politic convenient.
 
           Let it be stated once again, the BAP will not back down from its principled position – that the people who now rule the local basketball leadership are usurpers and lack legitimacy and transparency.
 
          Even the Minutes-of-the-Meeting documents pertaining to the Bangkok Agreement that the SBP and co-respondent FIBA submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) were falsified.
 
          Last December 7, 2009, during my attendance at the preliminary investigation proceeding before the Makati City prosecutor’s office after I filed a criminal complaint against the SBP leadership for falsification of the aforesaid minutes-of-meeting document pertaining to the Bangkok Agreement, may have clear connection with my sudden arrest and detention at the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City on that particular day.
 
           Late last year, the BAP filed a case against the FIBA in the CAS questioning its affirmation by FIBA of the SBP as the country’s national sports association (NSA) for basketball. This is a very clear violation of the Bangkok Agreement maliciously done by FIBA secretariat in dishonouring its own signature to the said Agreement.  The case remains to be solved soon by the CAS.

           No matter how long it takes, the BAP will continue with its fight for justice.  By God’s grace, the battle shall be won, too.  
         
           For those who continue to believe in this fight, thank you very much.  I thank the Lord for keeping our friends in the BAP in good hands.  

          Together, we shall overcome these hard times. 

                                                                                             Very sincerely,
 
                                                                                           Graham C. Lim
                                                                                      Secretary General, BAP
 
cc.    FIBA-Asia Friends
        COB

Banat News by Gabby Malagar
January 3, 2010 (Sunday) Visayas Language Version:

Cebu City --- Niadtong Pasko ug sa milabay'ng bag-ong tuig, mi-text kanako si Graham Lim, ang nabilanggong secretary-general sa Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) kinsa nagpalabay sa Christmas holidays didto sa Bicutan sukad pa kaniadtong  Disyembre 7. Nakaila nako si Graham sukad iyang gipulihan ang kanhi secretary-general sa BAP nag si Nicanor F. Jorge nga usa sab nako ka higala. Wala seguro'y mga sports leaders nga dili nato mahimong higala kay sila man maoy atong tinubdan sa mga balita. Gawas lang tingali niadtong mga lider nga badlungon, aw angayan sab nga dili nato hatagan ug pagtagad.
       Si Lim didto magsaulog ug Pasko ug didto sab magpalabay sa 2009 sa prisohan. Alang kaniya mao kadto'y pinakamasulob-ong yugto sa iyang kinabuhi. Nabilanggo na siya kaniadto apan sa iyang pamilya siya namasko kay kadiyot raman kadto.
        Kini gud si Lim nag-atubang man ug kaso nga deportation tungod kay gipasanginlan siyang naghupot ug peke nga passport ug ang iyang mga kaatbang mipasangil sab kaniya nga usa ka illegal alien o "undesirable alien" kay lagi usa kuno siya ka Taiwanese citizen ug dili Filipino citizen busa wal'y igong rason nga manghilabot sa pagpadagan ug sports dinhe sa Pilipinas.
         Sa makadaghan, gipanghimakak kini ni Lim kinsa maisogong misukol ug mibarug nga usa siya ka Filipino kay dinhe siya mahumugso sa Manila apan iyang gi-angkon nga insik ang iyang mga ginikanan. 
         Isip higala, nalooy ako ni Graham apan masa nalooy ako sa iyang anak lalaki nga si Graham Jr. ug sa 11 anyos nga anak babaye nga si Fides Lim kinsang pagtuon na-apektohan sa pagkabilanggo sa ilang amahan. Gani, si Graham Jr. mi-apelar sa publiko nga buhian na ang iyang amahan tungod kay dili man kini usa ka banggi-itang kriminal nga padugta-on sa prisohan. 
        Kining kaso sa pagpatay ilabi nga didto sa Maguindanao mas dakung isyu kay kang  Graham ug ang iyang pagkalambigit ug sports dili usa ka heinous crime kung itandi sa gipasangil sa banay'ng Ampatuan.
        Matod pa sa iyang mga anak nga wala makapatay ug tawo ang ilang amahan. Mga uk-uk, langaw ug lamok nuon sa Bicutan daghan na siya'g napatay. (joke)

                                                                        ***
Miscellaneous. To all Banat readers and all my friends and sisters whom I missed to greet personally or through my mobile phone during Christmas 2009 and the newly-turned 2010 four days ago, HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!