Outgoing PBA chairman vows end to ongoing board impasse

MANILA, Philippines — Mikee Romero, GlobalPort Batang Pier’s top honcho and the Philippine Basketball Association’s outgoing chairman, on Thursday assured that the 43rd season of the league will push through.

Addressing a select number of players and the media during the annual PBA Press Corps Awards at a restaurant in Quezon City, Romero shared: “By next week, we will fix everything.”

“Matatapos na itong impasse na ito,” he continued. “As an outgoing chairman, yun po ang assurance na mabibigay namin sa inyo — that the PBA will [open] as scheduled. And we will have business as usual.”

The update came during a week when fears of a lockout took another high. After an unproductive board meeting in Los Angeles in mid-November, the status of the December 17 opening remained in limbo after Spin.ph reported that the  “PBA Five” pulled off a  no-show in a recent owners-only meeting this week.

The so-called "PBA Five," which also goes by the tag "SMC bloc," is composed of the three San Miguel teams — San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia —  and allied squads GlobalPort and Kia.

“I don’t want to elaborate anymore what’s happening behind the scenes. Ang masasabi ko lang, [sa] December 17, napakalaking opening ang gagawin,” Romero shared, allaying fears of a lockout.

With 16 days to go before the new season’s tip-off, the league has only agreed on a number of provisions. Some if it are the schemes for foreign reinforcements and the details for the Christmas Day tussle. A full schedule for the All-Filipino Cup is yet to be announced.

“Like a normal family, may konting problema. Like a normal human being — passionate manalo ang mga teams na to, parang yung team ko,” Romero went on to explain.

“Rest assured, the 2018 PBA season will start on December 17,” he continued. “‘Yan lang po ang marereport ko sa inyo — na tayo sa PBA, maayos po natin ‘to.”