Tanduay bolting PBA, eyes MBA

Apparently incensed over the alleged series of setbacks dealt by the league and virtually reaching breaking point with a recent controversy, the Tanduay ballclub revealed it would move out of the PBA and may join the rival Metropolitan Basketball Association next year.

Tanduay team owner Lucio "Bong" Tan Jr. made the big decision yesterday, the move further fueled by a personal perception that the PBA is a "San Miguel league," alluding to the giant corporate rival of the Tan Group.

"Lilipat na kami sa MBA, para makapaglaro na kami ng basketball (We’re moving to the MBA so we can start playing basketball)," said Tan. "In the PBA, we can’t play basketball because it is a San Miguel league."

Tan said unfair treatment from the league commissioner and the PBA board, which he felt tends to favor San Miguel in a number of issues, made him decide to transfer to the MBA.

He said he has made arrangement with the MBA and plans to re-hire the services of Sonny Alvarado and Eric Menk to soup up the team he’s fielding in the community based league. He said it’s up to coach Derick Pumaren if he wants to join the team in the MBA.

In jest, he said they will play in the MBA carrying the name of the "Quiapo Snatchers" or the "Pandacan Giants."

The youthful son of business tycoon Lucio Tan Sr. also alleged one or two other PBA ballclubs might join the transfer to the MBA, saying owners of these teams are also disgusted over how the affairs of the league are being run. He added Welcoat may withdraw its membership application in the PBA and instead join the MBA.

"Marami ng nagagalit na team owners. Pero hindi sila basta makaalis, dahil ang habol nila advertising ng products nila. Ako kaya ako nandito dahil gusto ko ang basketball (A lot of team owners were also angry but they couldn’t get out because of the PBA’s advertising value. My case is different because I love basketball," he said.

He felt they didn’t get fair treatment from the league in all the issues they got into, including the Fil-Am controversy which they even brought to the court through a temporary restraining order which it later withdrew. He also cited a number of games wherein he thought they were hit purposely by the referees.

He said he has a good grasp of the mechanics of officiating, having worked as class A referee while attending classes at the University of California in Davis.

The latest controversy involving Tan was last Sunday when he drew a technical foul for berating the referees and for which he was summoned by PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino the following day.

Tan said he blew up that night because of the spotty officiating in the very game witnessed by his friends who were connected with the Golden State Warriors organization in the NBA. "Pinagtawanan ang tawagan, nakakahiya (They were laughing at the calls, what a shame!)," he said.

Bernardino told The STAR if the Tandauy decision were true, he’ll request the ballclub to make it formal so league officials could prepare for such eventuality.

Bernardino said the PBA would continue to thrive even minus Tanduay even as he took exception to the Tan's charges, maintaining that the decisions they make are in accordance with the league constitution and by-laws.

"Whenever you make a decision involving two or three parties, the aggrieved party may view it in a different light, that they didn’t get the sympathy of the commissioner. We may make unpopular decisions but we make sure we decide on any matter in strict adherence to the rules set by the board of governors," said Bernardino.

Meanwhile, San Miguel takes another shot at formalizing its claim for a seat in the Final Four in the PBA All-Filipino Cup eliminations when it clashes with Red Bull tonight at the Philsports Arena. Purefoods and Ginebra mix it up in an equally important match in the other game.