Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was elected yesterday as the new president of the Basketball Association of the Philippines during the BAP board of directors meeting at the Aloha Hotel in Manila.

Estrada will replace former Sen. Joey Lina announced his resignation Monday through a letter dated Oct.8 to the association's chairman Michel Lhuillier and the board of directors.

Lina also gave copies of his letter to Patrick Baumann, secretary-general of the international basketball federation, and business tycoon Manny Pangilinan, head of the three-man panel mandated by FIBA to steer the newly-formed Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas toward a Philippine Olympic Committee recognition. Rep. Monico Puentevella, POC first vice-president, said he does not know if the election of Estrada will improve the situation of Philippine basketball, but it will be discussed by the country's Olympic body during a meeting on Tuesday.

"We will have to discuss the development in the POC and the decision on whether or not to recognize SBP still depends on the POC," Puentevella told the DAILY STAR.

Lina stated in his letter that he decided to give up his position in order to improve the status of Philippine basketball with the POC not wanting to recognize the SBP if he will head the new cage group.

Major tournament stakeholders and regional representatives of BAP also aired their sentiments of reinstating Lina as the association's president during the election yesterday, but the former senator declined the proposal saying that his resignation is irrevocable.

Puentevella said that SBP will become a better organization if Estrada could assist Pangilinan because the PLDT and Smart Communications chairman needs all the help he can get. Oscar "Dodong" Bascon, Negros Basketball Association president, said he hopes that the election of Estrada will improve the situation of RP basketball because the senator is passionate about the sport.

Estrada, son of former Philippine president Joseph Estrada, headed the organization of the then San Juan Knights in the now defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association.

Bascon, who is being eyed to be a member of the 25-man board of SBP, said that Lina's resignation is good for the country because he is not a person who is passionate about the sport.

Lina's decision to give up his position, along with the resignation of controversial BAP secretary-general Graham Lim yesterday, might just be the key to SBP's bid of being recognized by the POC as the country's official basketball body.

The Philippines was suspended from FIBA-sanctioned international competitions last year, including the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, after the POC expelled BAP from its roster.

BAP and Pilipinas Basketball, the cage body backed by the POC, agreed to forge an alliance during a world basketball convention last month in Tokyo, Japan. *CIT

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