A Rhose by any other name

There is a growing concern that the PBA may have shot itself in the foot by recently rehiring director for business development and marketing Rhose Montreal who was found guilty of falsifying public documents in order to embellish her credentials for employment.

Montreal apparently submitted documents to the PBA showing she graduated from UP with cum laude honors. The documents were confirmed to be spurious. It was later discovered that she never finished at UP. When the fraud was uncovered, Montreal beat the firing squad by resigning. Then, she reapplied and begged for a second chance.

Under the law, falsifying public documents is a crime and punishable by a prison sentence and/or fine. It’s a grievous offense. In Montreal’s case, UP could take her to court because she misused or compromised the institution’s good name for her personal benefit. Montreal wouldn’t have a leg to stand on in court if she’s charged because the evidence is foolproof. Someone said Montreal was actually a UP student and enrolled in lawyer Lelen Berberabe’s class. She didn’t finish her studies at UP and it’s not known if she even graduated.

A previous employer Pocholo Borromeo said yesterday he hired Montreal as head of sales and marketing of GNC which he used to own. That was over 10 yeas ago. She was asked to resign when an examination of her submitted school records showed the documents were falsified. Montreal probably used the same documents in applying for a job with the PBA. Borromeo, however, said Montreal was a capable, hard-working and efficient employee with no record of hanky-panky.

“She applied for a high position which is probably why she submitted documents showing she graduated cum laude from UP,” said Borromeo. “We hired her and presumed her school records were valid. But over time, our HR people did due diligence and found her documents to be false. Personally, I found her to be good at her work. No complaints. It’s just that her records were falsified so she had to resign. She was with us for less than a year.”

In the PBA, Montreal has performed up to standards. A source said she brings in at least P80 Million in sponsorships a year. She was recently sent by the PBA to represent the league at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto. What raised not a few eyebrows was Montreal’s indiscretion in bringing along her partner, PBA referee Edward Aquino, on the trip. Alaska PBA governor Dicky Bachmann was in the PBA delegation with Montreal. Aquino’s trip was personally financed so officially, he wasn’t part of the PBA delegation. Montreal obviously found nothing wrong with taking Aquino along and even posted their pictures enjoying the All-Star Game in social media. She should’ve been advised to refrain from publicizing their trip together.

When the PBA found Montreal’s academic records to be falsified, she resigned. But unlike in GNC, she asked the PBA for a second chance. She appealed to the Board of Governors on the basis of her track record of performance and for humanitarian reasons. A source said Montreal described herself as a sole breadwinner, taking care of her ailing mother and a teenaged son afflicted with acute diabetes. The talk is some Governors were moved to tears when Montreal explained her circumstances.

The Board eventually agreed to rehire Montreal, effective March 21 but took away tenure and benefits. She’s back to square one and she’ll be on a six-month probation before being considered for permanency. With PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa’s assumption of CEO responsibilities, Montreal will now be accountable to him.

From a professional standpoint, there is basis that Montreal shouldn’t have been rehired.   It’s now well known in industry that she falsified her academic records so how can she still be effective as a marketing agent representing the league when in fact, she had misrepresented herself? In her new PBA function, Montreal will no longer be assigned to PBA Properties but only as a marketing account employee. Will prospective advertisers or sponsors look down on the PBA for compromising its integrity by almost immediately rehiring someone found to be guilty of a crime without even serving time or penalty and who had just resigned?

Nothing personal but shouldn’t the PBA have at least given Montreal six months to rethink her situation before allowing her to reapply? Surely, the PBA isn’t exclusively beholden to Montreal for whatever sponsorship money it has. The fact that four big companies are knocking on the PBA door to join isn’t because of Montreal but because the league itself is a tried-and-tested efficient and economical marketing vehicle. No doubt, Montreal has done a lot for the league. But nobody is indispensable in any organization. Once somebody thinks he or she is, then brace yourself for hell to break loose sooner or later.

As it is, the Board has decided to rehire Montreal and that decision will stick. The next six months will determine her viability as a marketing employee while she is on probation. Personally, I believe she should’ve been told to lie low for six months before reapplying. The dust still hasn’t settled and there’s a possibility that UP could take her to court, in which case, she’ll be in a damning situation of which the PBA will have no control.

Montreal has proved to be a productive and hard-working employee not only in the PBA but also with her previous employer. In her effort to land a good-paying job, she cut corners and went the wrong way. Montreal admitted her wrong-doing only when she was caught and for that, she should pay a price. She’s begged for understanding and appealed for another chance from the PBA. The Board has bent over backwards for Montreal. Let’s hope the decision for humanitarian reasons doesn’t stain the league’s own good name.