PBA breaks down Dubai payables

PBA commissioner Chito Salud has sent a statement of accountability to Filipino promoter Ramon Pizarras who failed to settle his financial obligations stemming from the staging of two league games in Dubai recently.

The total bill amounted to P1.54 Million, broken down into P190,000 paid by the Talk ‘N’ Text, Barangay Ginebra and B-Meg teams to Asiana Hotel during check-out for the balance of accommodation charges, P177,750 for travel and tax and terminal fees of 75 persons in the PBA delegation, P1.17 Million as the cost of one-way plane tickets on three separate flights bought by Talk ‘N’ Text to leave Dubai for Manila and P7,000 for an overnight stay in two rooms at Dusit Thani hotel used by assistant team manager Bong Ravena, import Maurice Baker and Emmerson Oreta.

The Dubai-Manila return flight bookings of the 20-man Talk ‘N’ Text group were cancelled by Gulf Air at the counter in the airport about three hours before the scheduled 11:45 p.m. departure. The group excluded coach Chot Reyes and assistant coach Jamike Jarin whose tickets were booked separately. Reyes and Jarin attempted to stay with the stranded group but couldn’t as their boarding passes had already been issued and their luggage loaded in the plane. The rest of the PBA delegation left as scheduled. The Talk ‘N’ Text bookings had been confirmed by Gulf Air. The PBA is now awaiting a written explanation from Gulf Air as to how and why the bookings were cancelled. If the explanation is unsatisfactory, the PBA will go to court and seek redress.

Three separate flights were hastily arranged to transport the stranded Talk ‘N’ Text group out of Dubai. Ranidel de Ocampo, Kelly Williams and Reyes boarded an Emirates flight at 3:45 a.m. Ravena, Baker and Oreta checked in at the Dusit before taking the Emirates flight at 9:45 a.m. The rest took a Qatar Airways flight at 5:55 a.m.

Salud’s letter to Pizarras was dated last July 4 and identified the PBA’s swift code and bank account number where the payment is to be deposited.

Meanwhile, Dana Express Travels sales director Noemi Joy Tolentino has confirmed the issuance of a hold-order on Pizarras, his family and guarantors to prevent him from leaving Dubai until his obligations are settled. To tighten the noose around Pizarras’ neck even more, Philippine consul general Benito Valeriano has summoned Pizarras to his Dubai office “to appear before the consul on duty to take action on the matter.” Valeriano was furnished copies of the PBA’s letters to Gulf Air requesting for an incident report and to Pizarras. The consul general will want to find out what steps Pizarras is taking to settle his accountability.

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FEU athletics director Mark Molina sent a tongue-in-cheek letter to the entire UAAP Board of Trustees the other day inquiring on the possibility of exempting Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant from league eligibility rules to play for the Tamaraws varsity.

The letter was obviously meant to prick the UAAP Board for clearing what FEU called a “sacred cow” to play this season. FEU was known to be one of three schools that voted against allowing Greg Slaughter to play for Ateneo as no clearance was previously sought for exemption from the prohibition rule during residency. Last February, a rule was approved by the UAAP Board to allow players in residency to suit up for the national team but FEU argued the exemption is prospective, not retrospective and shouldn’t apply to Slaughter. Ateneo, however, pointed out several instances where UAAP athletes from other sports played for the national team in the past.

Bringing up Bryant’s case can’t really be taken seriously but FEU simply wants to drive home a point.  Apparently, the case will be taken up in the next UAAP Board meeting. Bryant, 32, went straight from high school to the NBA. The UAAP’s age limit for college players is 25 and there’s a rule disallowing players to enlist seven years out of high school.

In Molina’s letter, he requested the UAAP to waive the age-limit rule, the seven years out of high school rule and the rule banning professional players. “Upon approval of the exceptions, FEU will commence discussions with Bryant’s management team regarding his willingness (and availability) to begin his residency at FEU and eventually play for the FEU Tamaraws in the UAAP,” said Molina.

An FEU official, who declined to be identified, said, “Age is just a state of mind and seven years out of high school would be academic because Kobe went straight to the NBA on hardship … we’re invoking not just national interest but also international interest, one sacred cow deserves another …. Kobe never went to college and the NBA has a lock-out now so he’s free … we want to invoke an exemption just like in Slaughter’s case.”

If ever the case is brought up for discussion by the UAAP Board, expect tempers to flare up, emotions to rise and a riotous debate. But why discuss it since the proposal is clearly meant to ridicule the UAAP Board for clearing Slaughter? The fact that the letter was delivered and received should be enough for FEU whose objective is only to stress a point. The Slaughter case has been decided and it’s time for the UAAP Board to move forward. Perhaps, the constructive thing to do is to convene the eligibility committee to review residency cases at least a full semester before the season begins, not a few days, in fairness to the athletes involved.

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Fil-Spanish Azkals striker Angel Guirado was mobbed by townmates in Ilagan, Isabela, during a sentimental homecoming last Tuesday. He was accompanied by his aunt Gloria Garcia to visit his 84-year-old grandfather Adolfo Aldeguer.

Guirado was allowed by national team coach Michael Weiss to take a leave of absence and call on his Filipina mother Angela’s father. A motorcade was cancelled when hundreds of Ilagan townfolk emerged to greet Guirado who received three plaques of appreciation from the provincial board at the Isabela session hall.

“Angel was overwhelmed by the reception and never expected it,” said Garcia, a sister of Guirado’s mother. “Police tried to shoo people away but Angel intervened because he wanted to meet every single person who came out to ask for his autograph and take his photo. He paid his respects in courtesy calls to provincial and municipal officials. Since the entire town showed up to greet him, it was pointless to go on with the motorcade. He spent the night in a cousin’s place in Cauayan before leaving for Manila the next morning.”