Cagers zero in on fund, fake Fil-Ams

Drastic changes in the PBA next year prompted professional cagers to revive the PBA Players Union. And this time, they mean business.

Players Union spokesperson Jojo Lastimosa, guesting in the weekly Scoop sa Kamayan West Avenue sponsored by Red Bull and Agfa Color Vista, told sportswriters they want two tasks done–get rid of fake Fil-Americans and get hold of the Players Trust Fund.

On the side, he said players should now be vigilant considering that the league is set to lower its salary cap.

Regarding the Fil-Ams, Lastimosa said it’s just an old issue and he’s leaving the final decision to the Senate.

"I’m not against Fil-Americans. If they really are Fil-Ams, they have the right to be here. But what we really want to get rid of are the fake ones who are depriving our local cagers the chance to pursue a career in the PBA," said Lastimosa.

"We just want everything to be legal. We’re leaving this issue to the Senate. Let me clarify that what I said is, there are about less than 10 who are fake," he added.

He was just surprised how these Fil-Ams easily got their papers when during the Senate hearing, he learned that there are a lot of processes they have to undergo at the Department of Justice.

He also bared that Sen. Robert Barbers already have the documents of theses suspected fake Fil-Ams and some of them are expected to be deported before the year ends.

While he’s not against Fil-Ams, he said, "The PBA should realize that the decline in gate attendance is not because of poor plays but mainly because of the economic condition of the country."

Regarding the Players Trust Fund, he wants to know how much was left so they could invest it somewhere and expand the scope of its thrust.

"Since 1995, I have been a signatory of the checks for the scholarship of ex-PBA players but we don’t have the knowledge of how much was left considering the income from the penalties and the last All-Stars," he related.

"We want to expand into a Players Welfare Fund. We realized that point when Jack Tanuan died. We couldn’t get money from the Fund so nag0ambag ambag na lang kami," he added.