Not even PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino and Sta. Lucia team manager Buddy Encarnado could convince the two to return to the training camp after Aquino had a spat with national coach Jong Uichico Tuesday.
"The commissioner told us (in a meeting yesterday) he might be forced to sanction us but we still didn’t give commitment on whether we’ll be back. Pag-uusapan pa namin ni Marlou kung ano ang gagawin namin," said Espino.
"Pero sabi naman namin kay commissioner marami naman sigurong pwedeng pumalit sa amin," Espino added.
Aquino has never returned to the daily practice session of the training pool at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center in Quezon City since he felt he was berated by Uichico Tuesday. Espino joined his Sta. Lucia teammate and good friend in seclusion since Thursday.
Uichico hit the nerve of Aquino while discussing fines to be imposed on tardiness and absences in the national pool.
"Nagtanong lang ako kung saan kukunin ang fine, binulyawan na ako sa harap ng maraming tao. Nagpapakahirap kami doon, tapos ginawa akong mukhang pera," said Aquino.
"Siguro nga tumaas ang boses ko at iba na ang naisip niya (Marlou). But I didn’t intend it to be that way. It wasn’t meant to be that way," said Uichico.
Encarnado told The STAR he had appealed to Aquino and Espino to patch things up with the national coach.
"There’s no way I’ll agree Marlou and Dennis turning their back on the national team because of their careers. And, of course, this is for the country."
"Napagalitan ko. Kaya lang habang pinapagalitan ko, nakayuko lang. Wala pa ring assurance na ibinigay sila kung babalik sila doon," said Encarnado.
"Tingin nila they’re in a no-win situation there. Tingin nila tatanggalin din naman sila," Encarnado added.
Uichico said it will be Aquino’s and Espino’s decision whether they’ll be back or not. But he stressed he can patch things up with the players and is ready to forget what happened.
Uichico also said he’ll not cut Aquino and Espino from the pool, thus, their obligation to the team remains and they can’t return to their mother team until after the first conference of the league this season.
Without the two Sta. Lucia cagers and also Romel Adducul, who has been recalled by the MBA, plus at least seven players with various injuries, Uichico decided to call off training today and tomorrow.
They’ll return to camp Monday with the coaching staff likely to announce the composition of the two candidates teams seeing action in the 2002 PBA Governors Cup.
"Of course, nandoon ang pangalan nila. Pero nasa magkabilang teams because we want to balance the two teams as much as possible," said Uichico.
The PBA commissioner, who summoned Aquino and Espino to his office yesterday, is optimistic the two players will return to practice Monday. Otherwise, Bernardino said he’ll be forced to severely penalize both of them.
Uichico is also confident the problem will be resolved. He said: "Blessing in disguise din siguro ganito kaaga lumalabas ang mga problemang kagaya nito. Mahirap kung may problemang ganito na malapit na ang tournament."