Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) Inc.
Truth & Justice
  • Home
  • History
  • BAP Officers
  • Accredited Members & Associations
    • Accredited Associations
    • Int'l Chapter Members
    • National Capital Region (NCR)
    • Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
    • Region 1
    • Region 2
    • Region 3
    • Region 4
    • Region 5
    • Region 6
    • Region 7
    • Region 8
    • Region 9
    • Region 10
    • Region 11
    • Region 12
    • Region 13 CARAGA
    • ARMM Region
  • Bangkok Agreement
  • Calendar of Events
  • Contact
  • News Blog
  • Vision, its Purpose & Mission
  • ISCA
  • Posthumous Recognition

Marking My Second Anniversary on June 28, 2012 This is my short story………… Graham C. Lim

6/28/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Marking My Second Anniversary on June 28, 2012
This is my short story………… Graham C. Lim

Manila, Philippines -- On December 7, 2009, during the hearing of a criminal case I filed against a certain person by the name of Manuel V. Pangilinan. This was the man who, instead of acting as a mediator, pulled off a coup in claiming the presidency of the fledgling Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and kicking out the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) as the country’s national basketball federation. The BAP has been recognized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) since 1936, a year in which the first BAP president, Senator Ambrosio Padilla, stood as Philippines’ team captain in the first Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

The criminal case I filed against this person revolved around the SBP’s falsification of private documents that resulted in two sets of Minutes of Meeting on February 5, 2007, for the Unity Congress agreement of the BAP and the SBP that would name the BAP-SBP as the national governing body in basketball in the Philippines.

The agreement was approved by the FIBA, led by FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann, and witnessed by FIBA Asia President Sheikh Saud Ali Al-Thani of Qatar and FIBA Asia Secretary General Dato’ Yeoh Choo Hock of Malaysia.

The unification agreement, which was to be known as the Bangkok Agreement, was signed on February 4, 2007, a night before the “Unity Congress” was to be held (on February 5, 2007). Also putting their signatures on the Bangkok Agreement document were SBP President Manual V. Pangilinan and Pilipinas Basketball (PB) acting President Jose Capistrano on one side and BAP Executive Vice President Christian Tan and BAP legal counsel Bonifacio Alentajan on the other end.

Sadly, the Bangkok Agreement was never followed to the letter. Various violations were committed, and worse of all, the name of the merged organization was shamelessly changed to simply “SBP” even when the Bangkok Agreement called for the organization to be known as “BAP-SBP.”

Sadly, the FIBA did not also honor the Bangkok Agreement even when its secretary general, Patrick Baumann, was among the signatories to the document. Moreover, it was Baumann himself who initiated the supposed merger between the BAP and SBP. Undoubtedly the FIBA secretariat was tremendous pressure from the SBP to disregard the Bangkok Agreement for future marketing considerations.

Just as I stepped out of the hearing at the prosecution office in the afternoon of December 7, 2009, a Friday, I was instantly surrounded by men from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) under the Interpol Division. This would indicate that had been under surveillance by the International Police for some time.

Imagine, it was the Interpol that was tapped to arrest me, even when it was out of their jurisdiction since the real case against me had to do with deportation. As such, my case should have been handled by Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Instead my filthy-rich foe chose to pay off the Interpol bigwigs to arrest me, then connive with the BI to make sure I rot in jail and stay away from the local basketball scene.

Immediately, I was brought to NBI Office along Taft Avenue, Manila for the customary picture and finger taking. Subsequently, I was taken to the BI head office in the Intramuros Area for reason that I don’t really know until now.

I asked one BI officer why I was being arrested when the BI had not issued a warrant of arrest. Instead, it was the head of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the honourable Secretary Agnes Devanadera, who issued the arrest order through the NBI Interpol agency. Still I begged to ask this question: Why was the Interpol involved here when I was not an international terrorist wanted by the world authorities.

This is how this country has been run since the 1970s. If one is fighting for what is fair and just, he is treated like a criminal, a law violator. In contrast, the powerful and the rich can easily play around with the judicial system no matter what wrongdoings they done.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. How sad is the state of affairs in our country.

Still and all, my imprisonment has not stopped me from pursuing my lonely battle against injustice, tyranny and persecution of innocent people by the powers-that-be, whether they are in big business or serving the government.

For in the end, I know that justice will prevail – maybe not now but certainly sooner than anyone else thinks.

One's honour is precious. It’s not for sale, even to the highest bidder.

In God's time, I knew that justice would be served and those who had a hand in my seven-month imprisonment at Bagong Bicutan Detention Center will eventually pay dearly for this transgression.

As they say, what comes around, goes around.

I never tried to seek vengeance for the suffering that my family and I had experienced from my opponents. I just leave everything to the incorruptible universal court of law known as karma.

The days of reckoning are just around the corner anyway. 
Peace be with all of you!

GrAhAm C. LiM
Secretary-General, BAP
Member, National Press Club of the Philippines
(NPC) since 1989




0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    AUSC General Assembly 2019

    Author

    BAP writes  something about the Past, Present, 
    & Future News & Events

    Picture
    FIBA World Congress, Indianapolis, USA

    Archives

    December 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2019
    June 2017
    October 2016
    May 2016
    September 2015
    February 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    April 2010
    January 2010
    September 2009
    July 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    November 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    February 2008
    July 2007
    June 2007
    May 2007
    January 2007
    October 2006
    May 2006
    March 2006
    December 2005
    November 2004
    June 2003

    Categories

    All

    Picture

    Submit
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    1st BAP President, Senator Ambrosio Padilla
    Picture
    Philippine national team in Berlin Olympics
    Picture
    Two-time FIBA President, Hon. Gonzalo "Lito" G. Puyat II, and 2nd BAP President started in 1968 and BAP Chairman Emeritus.
    Picture
    FIBA Asia Secretary-General Dato' Yeoh Choo Hock (seated 2nd at left) and BAP President Quintellano "Tiny" Literal (seated at right) in 1998
    Picture
    FIBA President Carl Men Ky Ching with BAP Officials in San Pablo, Laguna
    Picture
    FIBA President, Dr. Carl Men Ky Ching, 2002-2006
    Picture
    BAP President, Senator Joey Lina with China national player, Wang Zhi Zhi who played in the NBA LA Clippers.
    Picture
    Philippine President, Hon. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, with BAP officials led by Graham C. Lim
    Picture
    BAP President, Prof. Robert Milton Calo (right) with FESSAP Executives
    Picture
    In 2002 at FIBA World Congress in Indianapolis-USA, BAP President Tiny Literal and Secretary-General Graham C. Lim met FIBA President, Dr, Carl Men Ky Ching and FIBA Asia Secretary General Dato' Yeoh Choo Hock.
    Picture
    BAP Masbate Chapter
    Picture
    BAP Rizal Chapter
    Picture
    BAP Aklan Chapter
    Picture
    BAP Capiz Chapter
    Picture
    BAP Cebu Chapter
    Picture
    BAP Bohol Chapter
    Picture
    BAP Laguna Chapter
    Picture
    BAP Bicol Chapter
    Picture
    BAP Cordillera Chapter
    Picture
    BAP National Capital Region (NCR) Chapter 2019
    Picture
    BAP Tagum Chapter
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    BAP Incorporated
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.