January 22, 2010
To the Sports Leaders of Our Community,
I am Graham C. Lim, a permanent resident of the Philippines with parents of Chinese descent. I am the Secretary General of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP).
I am married to a Filipina with two kids studying in Catholic schools in the Philippines – one in high school and the other in grade school.
I have been imprisoned at the Bicutan Detention Center in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City since December 7, 2009, spending Christmas Day and New Year's Day without my family by my side for the first time in my entire life.
On December 31 (New Year's Eve), it was painful for me to have my youngest child, mark her 12th birthday without the warmth and care of a father and the company of her entire family.
For more than a month now, I have been in jail without any justifiable cause except for the caprice of businessman Manuel Pangilinan of the SBP, whose illegitimate leadership of the Philippines’ National Sports Association for basketball I have openly questioned.
Instead of fighting on a levelled playing field, where issues regarding the basketball-related Bangkok Agreement can be discussed freely and fairly, I was sent to jail in the guise of other issues pertaining to my citizenship.
The international basketball-governing body, FIBA, is also to be blamed for my predicament, specifically the FIBA Secretariat led by the insensitive Patrick Baumann, who usurped his position to suspend the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) – which has been in existence since 1936 as the national basketball federation – sometime in July 2005 without the knowledge and concurrence of the entire FIBA Central Board. This action by Baumann is a violation of the FIBA General Statutes but the sad things was nobody questioned Baumann’s irregularity and irresponsible personal decision.
Even Bob Ephinston, the FIBA president, conspired to have the BAP removed from the international basketball-governing organization. The unilateral decision and usurpation of authority by Baumann and Ephinston was in connivance with the fledging Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), whose group is headed by Pangilinan.
Upon my release from detention sooner, I am still considering filing a libel suit against shameful Ephinston for making false statements during the FIBA-Asia Executive Committee meeting held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on November 19, 2009.
Pangilinan's takeover of the SBP is in itself a violation of a previous agreement between the BAP and Pilipinas Basketball (PB), which was for Pangilinan to act only as the “mediator” between the opposing parties.
In December 2009, FIBA Asia sent a comment letter to the FIBA Central Board regarding the issues in the Philippines, stating that the “Bangkok Agreement-MOU” was never followed and respected (attachment: comments from FIBA Asia).
My fight for what is righteous in the local basketball leadership, which rightfully belonged to the BAP until it was usurped by Pangilinan's group in February 2007 during the so-called “Unity Congress” is a matter of principle and certainly non-negotiable.
My principles are not for sale and can never be bought by the powerful and rich. Simply put, I am being unjustly detained in jail for a basketball-related issue. Aside from the FIBA Secretariat, our Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is also to be blamed for the mess in our national basketball leadership. The POC blatantly violated the Olympic Charter by not respecting the autonomous status of the National Sports Association (attachments: columns from Malaya and Abante newspapers dated December 20, 2009).
I write this letter to seek relief from the international community for moral support and justice and let the world knows how dirty our sport has been infested by greediness and personal vested interest.
I know that my stay in jail may take some more time but I am willing to wait. With God’s guidance, I also believe justice will prevail in the end.
Thank you very much for taking time to read my letter.
Sincerely yours,
GRAHAM C. LIM
Secretary General
Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP)
cc: IOC /FIBA /UNIHRC /Amnesty Int’l/BAP/
Chinese Overseas Brotherhood (COB)
To the Sports Leaders of Our Community,
I am Graham C. Lim, a permanent resident of the Philippines with parents of Chinese descent. I am the Secretary General of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP).
I am married to a Filipina with two kids studying in Catholic schools in the Philippines – one in high school and the other in grade school.
I have been imprisoned at the Bicutan Detention Center in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City since December 7, 2009, spending Christmas Day and New Year's Day without my family by my side for the first time in my entire life.
On December 31 (New Year's Eve), it was painful for me to have my youngest child, mark her 12th birthday without the warmth and care of a father and the company of her entire family.
For more than a month now, I have been in jail without any justifiable cause except for the caprice of businessman Manuel Pangilinan of the SBP, whose illegitimate leadership of the Philippines’ National Sports Association for basketball I have openly questioned.
Instead of fighting on a levelled playing field, where issues regarding the basketball-related Bangkok Agreement can be discussed freely and fairly, I was sent to jail in the guise of other issues pertaining to my citizenship.
The international basketball-governing body, FIBA, is also to be blamed for my predicament, specifically the FIBA Secretariat led by the insensitive Patrick Baumann, who usurped his position to suspend the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) – which has been in existence since 1936 as the national basketball federation – sometime in July 2005 without the knowledge and concurrence of the entire FIBA Central Board. This action by Baumann is a violation of the FIBA General Statutes but the sad things was nobody questioned Baumann’s irregularity and irresponsible personal decision.
Even Bob Ephinston, the FIBA president, conspired to have the BAP removed from the international basketball-governing organization. The unilateral decision and usurpation of authority by Baumann and Ephinston was in connivance with the fledging Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), whose group is headed by Pangilinan.
Upon my release from detention sooner, I am still considering filing a libel suit against shameful Ephinston for making false statements during the FIBA-Asia Executive Committee meeting held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on November 19, 2009.
Pangilinan's takeover of the SBP is in itself a violation of a previous agreement between the BAP and Pilipinas Basketball (PB), which was for Pangilinan to act only as the “mediator” between the opposing parties.
In December 2009, FIBA Asia sent a comment letter to the FIBA Central Board regarding the issues in the Philippines, stating that the “Bangkok Agreement-MOU” was never followed and respected (attachment: comments from FIBA Asia).
My fight for what is righteous in the local basketball leadership, which rightfully belonged to the BAP until it was usurped by Pangilinan's group in February 2007 during the so-called “Unity Congress” is a matter of principle and certainly non-negotiable.
My principles are not for sale and can never be bought by the powerful and rich. Simply put, I am being unjustly detained in jail for a basketball-related issue. Aside from the FIBA Secretariat, our Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is also to be blamed for the mess in our national basketball leadership. The POC blatantly violated the Olympic Charter by not respecting the autonomous status of the National Sports Association (attachments: columns from Malaya and Abante newspapers dated December 20, 2009).
I write this letter to seek relief from the international community for moral support and justice and let the world knows how dirty our sport has been infested by greediness and personal vested interest.
I know that my stay in jail may take some more time but I am willing to wait. With God’s guidance, I also believe justice will prevail in the end.
Thank you very much for taking time to read my letter.
Sincerely yours,
GRAHAM C. LIM
Secretary General
Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP)
cc: IOC /FIBA /UNIHRC /Amnesty Int’l/BAP/
Chinese Overseas Brotherhood (COB)