San Miguel Beer governor Robert Non hinted yesterday at the possibility of passing up the chairmanship of the PBA Board of Governors next season after undergoing a successful heart procedure two weeks ago.
Non, currently the league vice chairman, is set to take over the post from Talk ‘N Text’s Patrick Gregorio after the 40th season but may opt to hand the baton to a fellow board member in order for make a full recovery.
If the plan pushes through, the chairmanship will be handed over to Globalport’s Erick Arejola, currently the board treasurer, with Non staying on as vice chairman.
Arejola is not available for comment at presstime, but sources said Non himself has already delegated some of his functions to the youthful Batang Pier official.
Non already served as board chairman three seasons ago, preceding Rain or Shine’s Mamerto Mondragon, and was succeeded by former Meralco official Ramon Segismundo.
Last season, after board vice chairman Ely Capacio of SMB passed away due to stomach aneurysm, Non, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel alternate governor at the time, was named to take Capacio’s job with the Beermen . The PBA then deemed it prudent to give the chairmanship to Gregorio and Non slid over to the post of vice chairman.
“It happened in the past, I give way to chairman Pato. I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” said Non when visited by members of the PBA Press Corps at St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City.
Non will remain as SMB governor and PBA vice chairman while briefly assigning his job to Beermen team manager Gee Abanilla before rejoining the board in about two months.
Meanwhile, foremost in the agenda of the board during its meeting on Feb. 26 is the formulation of the criteria that will be used in selecting the candidates for the next commissioner of the PBA after five-year chief Chito Salud announced that he would step down at the end of the season.
Several names have cropped up in the past couple of days as potential successor, including former PBA players Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez and Chito Loyzaga, as well as former league governors JB Baylon, Buddy Encarnado, Joaqui Trillo and Lito Alvarez.
Also mentioned was former PBA coach Chito Narvasa, his brother Ogie Narvasa and former TV5 executive Bobby Barreiro as well as PBA operations chief Ricky Santos and media bureau director Willie Marcial.