Narvasa submits resignation as PBA commissioner just before season opener

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa submitted his resignation Sunday morning, December 17, while Media Bureau Chief Willie Marcial will act as the league’s officer in charge, new PBA chairman Ricky Vargas announced moments before the season opener at the Araneta Coliseum.

Vargas, together with the rest of the PBA board of governors, said that Narvasa’s resignation was effective immediately but that the board filed a resolution that will make Narvasa stay until December 31 to help on the league’s transition.

“We reached out to Commissioner Narvasa and we made amends for the things that needed to be clarified and work out on his personal hurts on the process,” Vargas said.

“This morning, he submitted his resignation which was effective today and thanking the PBA. We thank him also for all his contributions for the PBA. However, the PBA board in a resolution passed today asked Chito Narvasa to stay until the end of the year. Dec 31^st 2017 to help us during the transition.”

Loss of confidence

The resignation comes after governors from TNT, NLEX, Meralco, Rain or Shine, Alaska, Blackwater and Phoenix filed a resolution in a special meeting on November 2 stating that they will not endorse Narvasa's renewal as league commissioner following Narvasa’s approval of a trade that dealt Kia's 2017 first overall pick for a bunch of role players from San Miguel. The Beermen used that pick to get Filipino-German workhorse Christian Standhardinger, a player considered a potential franchise changer.

Narvasa drew flak for allowing the trade to happen, especially from TNT, which called him "biased" in a statement. 

Later that day, governors from San Miguel, Ginebra, Star, Kia and Globalport blasted the 7-team bloc's resolution and expressed their support for Narvasa, who then announced that he will not step down as league commissioner because of "principle."

During the press conference for the PBA's 43rd season, Narvasa remained behind the spotlight and barely answered any queries, raising speculations of his imminent exit.

Vargas, who took the reins from former PBA chairman Mikee Romero, added that the board is "back stronger than ever" after facing a leadership impasse regarding Narvasa's tenure in the past few weeks. 

NLEX governor Ramoncito Fernandez was supposed to replace Romero but the Road Warriors and the TNT KaTropa, which are sister teams, swapped in chairmanship. TNT then appointed Vargas as league chairman. – Rappler.com