Mobiline offers Alas P10-M pact

Mobiline, desperate to turn a floundering campaign in the PBA All Filipino Cup into a winning drive, yesterday offered Louie Alas a three-year contract worth close to P10 million even as the ballclub stepped up negotiations with the Manila Metrostars where the current national coach has a live contract.

Debbie Tan, manager of the Phone Pals, told The STAR that negotiations with the management of the MBA team remain ongoing at presstime even as she hopes to consummate the deal before Friday when Mobiline plays San Miguel Beer in a crucial game.

"If this (Alas' release) cannot be ironed out and if we cannot firm this up before Friday, then we will have to ask Aric (Del Rosario) to handle the team," said Tan.

Alas, tapped by Mobiline to handle the team with Del Rosario as his assistant after the management fired coach Eric Altamirano and his staff last Friday, has a contract with the Metrostars as team consultant until next year.

"We have to move on," said Tan, in the face of the big Mobiline revamp. "But we never really got going because we have so much adjustments to make. Remember we have five new key players, so it would take time to adjust."

The adjustment actually continued yesterday when Alas had a one-on-one meeting with the Phone Pals, whom he vowed to transform into a running team.

It was one of the latest, and hopefully the last, of a series of multi-million deals being forged by the ballclub in a bid to boost its campaign in the pro league. But after acquiring the likes of Don Camaso, Vic Pablo, Gherome Ejercito, Gido Babilonia and Jose Francisco, the Phone Pals remain a struggling lot.

"I think he (Alas) knows his basketball and he knows the kind of patterns and plays best suited our team ," added Tan.

Alas said he is willing to resign from the Metrostars and the national team for that matter, stressing "coaching in the PBA is every coach's dream."

He has been calling the shots for the RP team since 1997, steering the Nationals to the SEABA crown thrice and the SEA Games gold medal once in last year's Brunei Games. He also piloted the Letran Knights to the NCAA crown and the Metrostars to the MBA crown last year.

"Nakapagsilbi na siguro ako sa bayan at pwede na akong mag-PBA," said Alas. -