A new epidemic

There is a new epidemic permeating the local basketball community. More and more league organizers are neglecting their financial obligations to employees, part-time workers, broadcast partners and technical personnel. As of this writing, at least three so-called professional leagues are delinquent in payments to their people. Delays range from two months to half a year. The sad part is, at least one of them thinks that they can get away with it, and are not shy about it.

At least for another of those leagues, they have the integrity to communicate with the people concerned, and ask for more time to raise the funds to pay. They are sincerely making an effort to honor their promises. At the other end of the spectrum, one grandiose organization continues to flex its political power over those they have hurt financially. In fact, they have even struck out against those who have spoken against them, flaunting their supposed power, brazenly ignoring even the calls of the broadcast network president who helped them launch their league. They still owe millions of pesos and are close to getting dragged to court. That’s something you can’t turn a blind eye to.

“These leagues should first have running capital to avoid these problems,” explains journalist Rey Joble, who was employed by one of these delinquent associations. “They shouldn’t try to rush success before they’ve achieved stability. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

“It’s only fair to the people who worked for it,” says coach and high school teacher Chris King dela Cruz, who has been a writer and commentator for various tournaments broadcast online. “They deserve to get paid, and they have no protection to ensure that they will receive their pay.”

The United Basketball League, on the other hand,  is an excellent example of how these tournaments should be run. Designed primarily for the youth and playing their games exclusively on weekends, they have never run into financial problems. Yet, they play up to 10 or 11 games per day, and have a modest online broadcast coverage. Their commissioner and founder Alan Salangsang says humility and gradual growth are the keys. In their third year, they are hoping to expand to the Visayas and Mindanao, sustained almost exclusively by teams’ entry fees.

“At the end of each day, we make sure that everyone gets paid,” the former pro player clarifies. “As a father, I know how it is to work hard for something.”

What can employees and daily workers do when this happens? One step is to go to the National Labor Relations Council (NLRC), particularly if you have a contract for your service, which includes verbal agreements. The offended party may also approach the Games and Amusements Board, which regulates all professionals involved in sports, including league organizers. The GAB is mandated by law to post observers at each pro game. And the board is directly under the Office of the President. Imagine how ridiculous it would be for the Chief Executive himself to get involved in such matters, no matter how unlikely that seems. Another option is to file a case and/or go to the media. That sometimes works, though there will be backlash. Wrong-doers hate when their deeds are brought to light. For our part, we are not trying to hurt anyone’s livelihood. On the contrary, no one is standing up for those who’ve had it taken away. We are only fighting for what is right.