Boxing promoter and manager Aljoe O. Jaro has filed a criminal case for violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices act against Games and Amusement Board (GAB) chairman Eric R. Buhain and GAB boxing chief, Dr. Nasser V. Cruz.
Jaro’s complaint stemmed from the GAB officials’ alleged "evident bad faith and desire to give the American group unwarranted benefits and advantage" in allowing former International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimum weight world champion Florante Condes to fight a Mexican challenger Raul Garcia in Mexico on May 24, 2008.
Condes, who has existing contract with Jaro and wife Alice, lost on points to Garcia while fighting under the management of American promoters Bobby Bostick and Dante Ortiz.
Jaro claimed that as a result, he and his wife "suffered serious damage and injuries by the loss of prized boxer with whom he and his wife heavily invested, all through the abuse of authority, corrupt practices, illegal and highly unpatriotic acts of the respondents Chairman Eric R. Buhain and Boxing Chief Nasser V. Cruz."
Jaro said it was he and his wife who discovered Condes; "thought him boxing skills, nurtured, raised and trained him first to become a Philippine National Champion, until he became a World Boxing Champion."
Jaro said he "therefore invested time, efforts and substantial financial resources, and they became happy about the prospects of his boxer for himself, his carrier, for his country, and for the benfits he would give to the complainant and his wife."
Before Condes became world champion, Jaro said Bostick and Ortiz "offered to promote at least three fights a year for him, however they lost interest in him, and were unable to give him even a single fight for more than a year."
He added: "Despite this breach of the agreement, however, when boxer Condes became world champion, they came out and tried to lure and induce him to severe his relationship with the undersigned (complainant) because they were interested in acquiring him as their boxer, given the impressive ring record and his new status as a world champion, thereby anticipating that they would earn by being his new promoters and managers."
"That in pursuit of this sinister purpose," Jaro’s complaint added, "they conspired and confederated with the respondents Eric R. Buhain and Nasser V. Cruz, chairman and boxing chief respectively of the Games and Amusement Board, to ensure their success."
Jaro said he was arranging Condes’ first title defense at that time at Ynares Complex in Antipolo City. "However, the respondents refused to approve the fight and instead informed the complainant that the American group was promoting a different fight in the U.S.," added Jaro in his complaint. Buhain allegedly told him: "Naka-kahiya sa mga Amerikano at wala akong mukhang ihaharap sa kanila," Jaro claimed "much to undersigned complainant’s serious disgust and disappointment because we have here a top GAB official favoring foreigners over a Filipino which is the very opposite of what he should have done."
The fight did not push through, Jaro said, "because it turned out the American group did not have financial capacity to promote the said fight."
The boxer had to wait very long, Jaro added, without a fight. "Through the inducement of the American group, he moved out of complainant’s camp without the latter’s consent to be with the American group as his new managers.
"In anticipation of the action that the complainant would take, the boxer was brought to the office of the respondents at GAB, was made to lodge a fabricated complaint against the undersigned, and without notice nor hearing whatsoever, in gross denial of due process, said Americans and the respondents issued press releases which were derogatory of the herein complainant."
For their part, Buhain and Cruz denied Jaro’s allegations saying they are willing to face Jaro in the proper forum. /MP
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