Top executives off to US, rue Manny distraction

MANILA, Philippines - Solar Entertainment president Wilson Tieng and chief operating officer Peter Chaliong left last night for Los Angeles to assure Manny Pacquiao that Solar and GMA, not ABS-CBN, will telecast his fight against Ricky Hatton on May 2.

Although he has a live contract with Solar up to 2011, Pacquiao announced the other day a switch to ABS-CBN – a decision that raised a legal uproar because of the lack of procedure and grounds to rescind.

Lawyer Enrique de la Cruz Jr. confirmed Pacquiao received P15 million from Solar last Monday and the fighter acknowledged it in a letter the next day. The amount represented 25 percent of the P60 million that Solar is obligated to pay Pacquiao for the Philippine TV rights of his fight against Hatton. Under terms of their contract, Solar will pay Pacquiao the full sum on a staggered basis.

But two days after receiving P15 million from Solar, Pacquiao read a statement in a video filmed in his Los Angeles apartment and shown on ABS-CBN declaring his decision to change media partners.

Before leaving, Chanliong said Solar’s interest is to remove this distraction so that Pacquiao can concentrate on training for Hatton. De la Cruz said Pacquiao is “a victim of a network war and manipulation” and called the decision to breach the contract “ill-advised.”

Chanliong said he is in constant contact with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum who expressed concern that the distraction may take away Pacquiao’s focus for the fight. Top Rank has nothing to do with Pacquiao’s TV rights in the Philippines. Arum ceded the exclusive rights to Pacquiao himself as part of the settlement in the Golden Boy dispute.

“We’re hoping for the best,” said Chanliong. “We plan to sit down with Manny in Los Angeles. We’re confident that Manny will arrive at the right decision to move on and focus on his training. This distraction isn’t doing any good.”

Chanliong ruled out a possible compromise with ABS-CBN. It was rumored that Solar chairman William Tieng and ABS-CBN chairman Gabby Lopez met some weeks ago at Pacquiao’s request but nothing came out of the meeting.

Since Solar has the exclusive contract to air Pacquiao’s fights until 2011, the only way ABS-CBN could be a carrying station is if it buys out Solar’s rights. Solar, however, has an existing contract with GMA to telecast the Pacquiao-Hatton fight so if ABS-CBN pursues the fight, it will not only have to buy out Solar’s rights but also pay off GMA – which won’t happen.

“We’ve got a contract with GMA so it’s not possible for ABS-CBN to show the fight,” said Chanliong. “Solar has the exclusive rights and we’ve signed up to partner with GMA. So no other network can air the fight.”

Chanliong said whoever advised Pacquiao to switch must have misrepresented the facts and misled him into thinking the move was legally justifiable.

A source said a former ABS-CBN legal counsel is rumored to be advising Pacquiao. The same source mentioned Pacquiao’s lawyer Franklin (Jeng) Gacal was in Manila when the decision was made and immediately flew to Los Angeles to straighten out the mess. Gacal was reportedly not consulted before Pacquiao announced the switch.

GMA vice president for legal affairs Dick Perez, meanwhile, gave Pacquiao a seven-day deadline “to recall your grant to ABS-CBN of the airing right to the fight, otherwise, much to our regret, we shall take such actions as are necessary in order to protect our interests.”

Perez said Pacquiao has an existing contract with GMA where he is not to appear on any TV program, show, promotion or event of any other broadcast media entity other than GMA and its subsidiaries and affiliates without the written consent of GMA.

Perez said Pacquiao’s “unilateral action to give ABS-CBN the right to air the Pacquiao-Hatton fight violates the provision of the agreement.”

In a letter dated last Thursday, Perez reminded Pacquiao that the agreement with GMA “still subsists.” If Pacquiao fails to reply within seven days, Perez said GMA will assume he has not recalled the grant to ABS-CBN and will seek redress in court.

Chanliong and Tieng will assure Pacquiao that despite this misunderstanding, Solar is going all out to promote the fight against Hatton on GMA and the Solar network.