BCAP wins case vs US mentors?

The Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP) said yesterday it has furthered the cause of Filipino cage mentors following reports that the group has gained favorable ruling on its cases against American mentors Bill Bayno and Paul Woolpert at the Court of Appeals.

BCAP president Chito Narvasa said he would call a press conference as soon as he receives the court ruling reportedly now in possession of BCAP legal counsels Ogie Narvasa and Gilbert Santos.

"I’ve yet to get a hard copy because I’ve just returned from a business trip in Hong Kong and China. But I’ve been informed by our lawyers of the court decision," said Narvasa.

Talk n Text team manager Frankie Lim said he has heard the court decision and expressed doubts whether the Talk n Text management would contest it in the Supreme Court since the case has been rendered moot and academic with Bayno and Woolpert long out of the company’s PBA team. "Tatanungin ko yan sa lawyers namin," said Lim.

"Bahala sila kung gusto nilang dalhin sa Supreme Court. Lalabanan pa rin namin sila doon. But at the moment, ang importante there’s already a ruling on record that Bayno and Woolpert should not have been allowed to coach in the PBA," said Narvasa.

BCAP had earlier contested the Department of Labor and Employment’s decision to give working permits to Bayno and Woolpert despite an earlier court ruling on the case of other American mentors Ron Jacobs and Tim Cone.

"There’s a previous ruling on the same case involving Ron Jacobs and Tim Cone. What we want is for the DOLE to be consistent," said Narvasa. The former Shell mentor said Cone now falls under a different category as he’s already married to a Filipina.

With the court allegedly barring Bayno and Woolpert to coach the Phone Pals, Narvasa said they have proved that "having money does not give (any team) absolute right to choose foreign coaches."

"There are laws to be followed. Before you think of hiring foreign coaches, you’ll have to look for Filipino coaches capable of doing the job," said Narvasa.

"Mabuti na lang hindi nag-champion si Bayno at Woolpert. Kung nag-champion sila and with this court decision, I would have to question their championship," Narvasa added.

He said Shell’s decision to terminate the contract of its own foreign mentor in John Moran was a different case.

"We had an agreement with Shell, allowing Moran to coach in the PBA," said Narvasa.

Meanwhile, Shell plays its first game under interim coach Jigs Mendoza against Coca-Cola at the resumption of the Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum today.

Mendoza, a former San Beda Red Cub and UP Maroon who toiled for years as assistant to Perry Ronquillo then Moran, faces his first acid test on the bench versus Chot Reyes, who is considered among the brightest tacticians in the country today.

Sta. Lucia Realty and Barangay Ginebra clash in the day’s other game while Red Bull Barako and Alaska Milk depart for Cebu City to play in a road game at the Cebu Coliseum tomorrow.