To pay or not to pay Bong

FedEx paid Bong Hawkins P350,000 a month last season even as the player from Tanduay did not play a single game. Should FedEx pay his salary, now P400,000, on the second year of the idle player’s four-year contract?

After gathering dust on the shelf for a year, the Bong Hawkins case will be re-opened Tuesday in another arbitration talk, this time under new PBA commissioner Noli Eala

Hawkins, through his agent-adviser Danny Espiritu, sought the meeting after FedEx stopped paying the player his monthly salary last Jan. 15.

Hawkins and FedEx have been in a contract dispute stemming from the two different contracts the former Perpetual Help ace player entered into with Tanduay. The contract was subsequently absorbed by the Express.

One contract says Hawkins is tied up with the ballclub in a four-year period ending in 2004 while the other also involves a four-year deal but with a clause that says either party has the option to renegotiate after 2002.

Hawkins, of course, wants the first deal to be honored while FedEx wants the other contract since the ballclub is no longer interested in his services.

In fact, FedEx had offered to buy out Hawkins’ contract after taking over the Tanduay franchise last year. The team decided to just put the player on the reserve list when team officials saw a problem with the contract. The question then was which contract should be bought out.

Then acting commissioner Sonny Barrios ruled that the one filed with the Commissioner’s Office should be honored. Incidentally, what is considered Hawkins’ Uniform Player Contract (UPC) or the official PBA contract is the one saying he’s tied up with the ballclub for four straight years.

Apparently, FedEx lawyers still believe the other contract is binding that’s why the ballclub stopped paying Hawkins in the last pay date.

FedEx honored its full obligation to Hawkins last year, giving the former Alaska player a monthly take of P350,000 or a total of P4.2 million.

Hawkins insists he stands to receive P400,000 a month this year and next year for a total of P9.6 million.

Since FedEx assumed the Tanduay franchise, Hawkins has been trying to stay in shape playing pick-up games with retired players in various gyms. He’s attending a Thursday club at a Quezon City gym with Sta. Lucia coach Alfrancis Chua, former player and ex-congressman Dennis Roldan and a number of former UST players.

Meanwhile, three Coca-Cola Tigers got fresh contracts late Saturday night.

Ato Morano and Estong Ballesteros signed two-year pacts while Chris Bolado inked a one-year deal.

The source didn’t give the figures of the contracts but said Morano got a little raise from his monthly take of P95,000 last year while Ballesteros agreed on a pay cut.

Jeffrey Cariaso and Rafi Reavies remain free agents as they’re still on vacation abroad. Their old contracts expired last Dec. 31.

Coca-Cola coach Chot Reyes said Cariaso will be given the maximum pay in three years while Reavies, like Ballesteros, has to agree on a pay cut.