FedEx elevates Hawkins’ case to PBA board

The Bong Hawkins’ case is now in the hands of the PBA board of governors.

The dispute in Hawkins’ playing contract has been elevated to the league board as FedEx appealed yesterday for the reversal of the PBA Commissioner’s Office decision, ordering the ball club to honor an obligation to Hawkins for the next two years although the player is no longer playing.

FedEx board representative Lito Alvarez expected the matter to be included in the agenda of the next board meeting.

With the case now in the board, the governors are likely to consult their respective legal counsels before deciding on the case. A two-thirds vote of the board — seven in this case minus the votes of FedEx and two of four SMC ball clubs — is needed for a verdict.

If the board upholds the Commissioner’s Office’s decision, the case would only drag on with FedEx vowing to contest it in court.

"Our lawyers are saying we have a good case. We have legal basis on this," said Alvarez.

However, a league insider said FedEx would be meted with a stiff sanction if it decided to bring the case out of the PBA confines. "It’s in the PBA by-laws. Tanduay was heavily fined for bringing a case to the court during its time in the league," said the STAR source.

The Hawkins’ case stemmed from two different contracts he got from Tanduay and was subsequently inherited by FedEx. — Nelson Beltran