PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa stepped down from his post on Sunday morning, the league’s board announced in a press conference right before the opening of the 43rd season.
PBA Media Bureau chief Willie Marcial was appointed as the league’s OIC.
Narvasa was asked to stay until December 31 of this year to allow a smooth transition, according to TNT governor Ricky Vargas who spoke before the press at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
The development came after over a month of impasse involving Narvasa and majority of the board members who had withrawn their support for Narvasa due to “loss of confidence”.
“Now we’re stronger than ever, we’re stronger together, and we will stay like that as we begin the healing process of the PBA,” Vargas said.
Narvasa’s two-year tenure as commissioner was marred by controversies. He was criticized for slapping numerous fines on players and approving lopsided trades, most notably the Kia-San Miguel trade which allowed the powerhouse Beermen to land Christian Standhardinger with the No.1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
