By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has a new commissioner as erstwhile officer-in-charge (OIC) and media bureau chief Willie Marcial got the full backing of the league board to assume the post in an official capacity.
In a unanimous vote made yesterday at the board’s first monthly meeting for the year at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City, Mr. Marcial got a term as commissioner for three years.
Mr. Marcial, who has been part of Asia’s first play-for-pay league in various capacities for a long time now, was installed in an interim capacity after former commissioner Chito Narvasa was asked by a majority of the board members to resign late last year over “loss of confidence.”
As OIC of the league, Mr. Marcial did not waste time showing his capacity to lead the local pro league, which was said to have been greatly considered by the board in making its decision.
Among the changes the new commissioner has installed is giving more leniency for physical plays during games which has been welcomed by many league stakeholders.
Mr. Marcial is now the 10th commissioner in league history after Lito Prieto, Mariano Yenko, Rudy Salud, Rey Marquez, Jun Bernardino, Noli Eala, Sonny Barrio, Chito Salud and Mr. Narvasa.
