THE International Tennis Federation (ITF) has threatened to punish the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) if it fails to resolve its internal dispute.
In a letter addressed to Philta dated October 20, ITF President David Haggerty aired his federation’s frustration over the current turmoil in the association.
Haggerty said the crisis has “destabilized the governance of tennis in the Philippines.”
“I want to express the ITF’s disappointments in these events. The ITF expects its members to manage their own affairs, including disputes, in accordance with their respective constitutions and the ITF Constitution,” Haggerty added.
Haggerty furthered that the ITF will continue to recognize Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez as the president of Philta unless the by-laws of the association will be amended and approved by the international body and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
The ITF has ordered the Philta to review its constitution regarding the membership and representations, which, the ITF said, would “fundamentally allow stakeholders to have a say in how the sport is run, including the right to elect the leaders of the sport.”
Olivarez resigned from his post in 2016 to focus on his fresh term as a mayor, and Col. Buddy Andrada took over after a snap election.
During that time, Philta Vice President Randy Villanueva protested because he believed that he should have taken the role as Olivarez’s term will expire in 2018.
Andrada promised to step down last February, but had a change of heart and remained at his post to the dismay of Villanueva’s camp.
Soon after the standoff, Andrada backed out and endorsed the association to tennis patriarch Jean Henry Lhuillier.
Complications got even worse as the POC did not honor the election held last June where lawyer Antonio Cablitas won as president. No POC observer was present and the documents were insuffient, according to the POC.
The ITF viewed these actions as intolerable as it pushes Philta to report all its activities from January 2016. The international body has set a deadline of November 15.
Failure to do so will mean sanctions from the ITF under its constitution.
“The ITF will take formal action. I sincerely hope that this will not be required, and that each of you understands the seriousness if this issue,” Haggerty said.