PBA okays Barako's leave, Gilas five stint

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Basketball Association approved yesterday Barako Bull’s application for a leave of absence and Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas’ request to be allowed to play as guest team in the coming second conference.

In a landmark meeting among PBA team owners at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, the league leaders also decided to stick it out with a VHF channel as TV coveror and directed commissioner Chito Salud to make his recommendation on the proposed PBA coliseum in three months.

All team owners were present in the meeting except Barako Bull’s George Chua.

“We had expectations and I was not disappointed as expected,” said Smart-PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, attending the meeting as PBA team owner and president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

The league board, in its own meeting earlier in the day, gave the nod on the PBA Developmental League.

The league commissioner said he would talk with PBL officials and propose a merger. But regardless of what happens in the meeting, Salud said they would push through with their launching of the D-League in March.

As in the case of the Northern Consolidated Cement team in the 80s, Smart Gilas is allowed to vie for the championship in the second conference which runs for three months starting Feb. 18.

In the league’s return to three-conference format, the second conference will again be known as the Commissioners Cup and the third conference the Governors Cup.

Barako Bull was the last team to rule the Commissioner’s Cup in 2005. It won’t be able to defend the crown with its leave.

Smart Gilas takes Barako’s slot but will play according to PBA rules, limited to a 14-man roster. In yesterday’s meeting, SBP vice chairman Ricky Vargas presented a 17-man lineup including new training pool prospects Kiefer Ravena, Amer Baser, Junman Fajardo and Bobby Ray Parks.

The PBA also left its option open for Smart Gilas’ participation in the third conference.

Salud said 11 teams might play in the Governors Cup, depending on whether Barako is ready to return and on Smart Gilas’ schedule.

“Smart Gilas has to inform us early,” said Salud.

The Barako players will be put on a dispersal draft, giving them the chance to play for the other teams in the second conference. They return to their mother teams later.

During its leave, the Barako team won’t have a share in the league’s gate receipts.

As expected, the team owners put more attention on the TV coverage.

“I was given specific directive that the next coveror would be able to promote PBA the best way to reach younger base of fans,” said Salud.

“Definitely, marketing and TV is the more important. We decided to go for VHF channel,” said SMC president Ramon Ang.

“TV is the most important because it brings the PBA games to the living room. We’ll do with VHF; we have to be practical,” said Alaska Milk owner Wilfred Steven Uytengsu.

VHF (Very High Frequency) is free channels like ABS-CBN 2, NBN-4, TV-5, GMA-7, RPN-9 and IBC-13. The PBA closed its door on Studio-23 and QTV-11.

Pangilinan, who also owns TV-5, said his group is talking with other networks for a possible team-up in a bid to cover the PBA games.

Chances are TV-5 would buy airtime in NBN-4 or IBC-13 to telecast the games.

Solar TV’s contract as exclusive TV coveror of the PBA expires at the end of the current season. It has informed the PBA it won’t seek a contract extension.