Stars offer buy-out of Dino's contract

The Manila Metrostars is offering a buy-out of the contract of controversial 6-foot-4 Dino Manuel from the Cagayan de Oro Amigos in an effort to end the two-week-old tug-of-war with the power forward's mother team.

With just four days left before the grand opening of the tri-phased 2000 season of the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), the defending national champions are frantic to shore up their frontline, what with the departure of 6-foot-6 Celedon Camaso and regular starter Reuben dela Rosa.

The Metrostars open their title retention bid on Sunday against the Socsargen Marlins in General Santos City with a line-up also depleted with injuries. While Manila has signed up PBL's three-point king Joel Co, former Batangas Blades bigman Bernhard de Guia and ex-Negros Slasher Erwin Framo in the off-season, key players Peter Martin and Jonathan Serrano are still recuperating from constructive knee surgeries. League MVP Alex Compton is yet to fully recover from knee tendonitis, which he aggravated during the playoffs late last year.

The Amigos elevated the case last week for arbitration by the MBA Commissioner's Office, saying that the 6-foot-4 former San Beda stalwart still has a year left in the two-year contract he entered into with them going into MBA '99. Sources said Narvasa will likely hand down his decision on the Manuel dispute late yesterday or today.

Manila General Manager Ramon Tuason said the management decided to against waiting for the ruling of Commissioner Gregorio Narvasa II "to settle this issue as soon as possible via an amicable arrangement so we can focus on the last-minute preparations that have to be made before the season begins."