Cutillas resigns from the PFF and Issues with the Coaches’ Fees

This appears in the Tuesday, February 10, 2009 edition of the Business Mirror.
http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5838:cutillas-steps-down&catid=31:sports&Itemid=65

Cutillas resigns from the PFF and Issues with the Coaches’ Fees
by rick olivares

After more than 30 years of service to Philippine football, Dr. Juan Cutillas resigned as coach of the Men’s National Team when he personally handed in his letter to the Philippine Football Federation President Jose Mari Martinez and General Secretary Pablito Araneta last Monday, February 2, 2009 at the PFF House of Football.

Cutillas’ resignation stems from two incidents. The first of which is the PFF brass ignored the 45-page report of the Technical Committee of which he is also the Director, regarding the interference of National Team General Manager Ernie Nierras into the coaching duties of Casper Ngo, Albert Lim, and Joel Villarino in several tournaments most particularly the 2009 Asian Football Confederation Under-16 Women’s Championship Qualification held in Malaysia from November 10-18, 2008.

The report stated that Nierras, who is not an accredited or licensed coach, clashed with Ngo regarding the coaching and the coach of the U-16 was eventually relegated to the bench.

Cutillas’s resignation letter also pointed out the non-payment of football coaches under the AFC Aid 27 Financial Assistance Program. The coaches were said to not have been paid since June 2008 and only received partial payment later in December.

PFF President Martinez cited that the coaches were remiss in submitting their monthly reports hence the delay in their release of their salaries.

Mariano Araneta, the former Chairman of the Technical and Coaches Committee and Cutillas dispute that. Said Araneta, under the AID 27 Program, the employee, in this case the coaches, agree to perform his duties they specified by the technical Committees regarding centers of excellence, trainings, seminars, and tournaments among others. After a workshop in 2008, a program was submitted by Cutillas and Araneta to the PFF that was never acted upon.

When asked about it, Martinez said that the program report must have been buried under the pile of paperwork on his desk.

Added Araneta, “That is hardly the fault of the coaches because it is the obligation of the PFF to pay them otherwise, cut them out. How can they discharge their duties when there is no direction from the PFF? But incredibly, the coaches’ names were submitted to the AFC for approval early this year. So what does that mean?”


After a meeting in the PFF House of Football in Pasig City last Friday, February 6, Martinez agreed to remit the balance of the fees of the coaches. However, according to Araneta, they will not receive the full payment because the coaches were asked “to make a donation for the payment of other expenses like the kit man etc.’

“These are sad developments for football,” pronounced Cutillas in the light of recent developments where the RP Women’s Futsal team resigned over the relief of its Coach Emmanuel Batungbacal last Wednesday, February 4 and the dissolution of all the PFF committees by Martinez last Thursday.

Incidentally, Cutillas was Martinez’ coach in San Beda in the NCAA and on the National Team.