Cojuangco, dismayado sa PFF leadership
“I find it disturbing that what he did to me so many years ago, he did it again to another person. That is backstabbing.”
Ito ang punong-puno ng panghihinayang ni dating Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) president at ngayon ay Rarlac representative Charlie Cojuangco hingil sa kawalan ng direksyon at malasakit sa grassroots sports program ng Philippine Football Federation (PFF) sa nakalipas na taon.
At ang masakit, nais ni PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta na manatiling lider sa ipinahayag na muling pagtakbo sa nakatakdang eleksyon sa asosasyon.
Inamin ni Cojuangco, bunsong anak ni business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., na tila ‘tinraydor’ siya ni Araneta matapos makuha ang kanyang suporta.
“During the time I was also running for PFF president, I had a similar arrangement with Nonong Araneta,” pahayag ni Cojuangco, dating Congressman ng Negros Occidenta. “He asked me to give way to him as I planned to run for PFF president. So I was surprised that, after three days, I heard that he had thrown his support behind Mari Martinez, may he rest in peace. We all know what happened to PFF during Mari Martinez’s tenure, and you have Nonong Araneta to thank for that.”
Sa kapanahunan ni Martinez, sinalanta ng iba’t ibang kontrobersya ang asosasyon, tampok ang mga reklamo at kawalan ng tamang trato sa ilang miyembro ng Philippine Azkals.
Pinalitan ni Araneta noon December 2010 si Martinez bilang PFF president. Ngayon, target ni Araneta na muling tumakbo para sa ikatlong termino sa November 29.
Sinabi ni Ricardo “Ricky” Yanson Jr., bagong NOFA president, na kinausap siya ni Araneta para sa tambalan sa PFF nitong September kung saan siya ang tatakbong pangulo, ngunit nitong Oktubre, nagpahayag ng ibang mensahe si Araneta.
“So it’s now an issue of character,” pahayag ni Cojuangco. “I didn’t say anything before because it’s in the past and I had forgiven him and moved on. But the fact that he did it again makes me question his character.”
Ayon kay Cojuangco, mistulang pinabayaan ni Araneta ang kaguluhan sa football event sa kasalukuyang 30th