Death knell for PBL

For 18 years, the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) — initially known as the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL) until the advent of the "open" era in 1990 — has been the hoops haven for collegiate players and aspiring pros.

Now, it’s on its death throes, thanks to a ruling traced to the previous administration in the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the government body tasked to supervise professional sports in the country.

In 1999, the GAB advised then PBL Commissioner Yeng Guiao that it was "inclined" to consider the PBL a "professional" league. That was the start of a protracted war of interpretations regarding the PBL’s status – was it professional or non-professional?

You’re probably wondering why after so many years, the GAB thought of swooping down on the PBL which was founded as the PABL in 1983 and incorporated as the PBL in 1989 as "a non-profit and non-stock corporation organized primarily for the promotion and development of amateur basketball in the Philippines."

The GAB, you see, stands to earn some money under the law, a three percent share of gross receipts – if it supervises the PBL. Also, GAB employees get to take home a little extra income each time they watch a PBL game in the stadium – that’s part of the job of supervision.

But it wasn’t until Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) secretary-general Graham Lim entered the picture that the GAB began to tighten the screws on the PBL. In May last year, Lim wrote the GAB and submitted contracts of several PBL players as alleged proof that the league was professional. Lim’s interest was purely selfish. The BAP had just organized the National Basketball League (NBL) which was for all intents and purposes, another PBL – and wanted the PBL, the NBL’s chief competitor for players, out of business or at least out of the amateur landscape.

Lim had an axe to grind against the PBL which since its inception, never affiliated with the BAP. He saw in the PBL’s independence as sign of the BAP’s weakness. In his mind, a non-professional league had to be under the BAP’s control.

The GAB then called for an investigation of the issue. By then, Guiao had moved back to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as coach and Chino Trinidad had taken over as PBL Commissioner.

During the investigation, Trinidad explained that under International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, non-professional players could enter into a written contract with a club to stipulate, among others, payment for services. He said it was not anomalous for a non-professional player to sign a playing contract with a club or team or even FIBA – the global governing authority for non-professional basketball – had confirmed it.

Former Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) secretary-general Mauricio Martelino, the country’s foremost authority on the governing rules of non-professional basketball, agreed with Trinidad. He said FIBA adopted the position of recognizing contracts to prevent wanton piracy of players. "Without a playing contract, there was no other way to protect a club from its player being pirated," he added. "FIBA was just being practical in affirming the validity of contracts involving non-professional players."

Despite Trinidad’s explanations, the GAB decided to declare the PBL a professional league in December last year. Why it chose to listen to Lim instead of Trinidad remains a mystery. The GAB never bothered to refute the arguments raised by Trinidad. Why? It couldn’t have been the money angle because the PBL is a losing business proposition – it’s neither a PBA nor a Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA). Tickets for PBL games are practically distributed for free. Was it a personal agenda that prompted the GAB to try to choke the PBL after nearly two decades of existence?

The GAB sent its decision for ratification by Malacañang. The PBL reacted by appealing the decision to Malacañang. At the moment, the decision is still under appeal and not enforceable.

The problem is given the GAB’s decision, collegiate players are being dissuaded by their schools to participate in the next PBL conference starting in a few weeks. Trinidad said 80 percent of PBL players come from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the National Collegiate Athletic As-

sociation (NCAA), and other non-professional varsity leagues. Pulling the collegiate players out of the PBL would kill the league.

But is that what the GAB wants? To kill the country’s No. 1 non-professional developmental league? Does the GAB or Malacañang, for that matter, want the PBL’s blood in its hands?

There’s a possibility that Malacañang will remand the decision back to the GAB for review. The GAB has a new Chairman so it’s expected that if ever the agency studies the PBL issue again, there will be no personal agenda muddling the investigation – that there will be a fair judgment, this time.

It’s not difficult to determine whether or not the PBL is professional. Just examine the hard facts. Look at reality. If the proof of the puddling is in the eating, then study how the PBL has functioned the last 18 years. It has bred collegiate players for eventual elevation to the pros. It has trained national players for international competitions and collegiate players for the varsity leagues. It has operated autonomously – without GAB supervision – for 18 years. There is no indication that the PBL is run for profit, that it is like or a competitor of the PBA or the MBA. PBL governing rules conform to non-professional rules. It makes no allusion to being a professional league because it just isn’t.

If the PBL smells, looks, and acts like a non-professional league, then there can only be one conclusion – that it is a non-professional league. That’s the bottom line.

What a travesty of justice if the GAB or Malacañang refuses to recognize reality and declares the PBL a professional league. The consequence of such a decision will be fatal. Without collegiate players, the PBL will die because its reason for existence will no longer be relevant.

Why declare a non-professional league something which it clearly isn’t? Leave politics and personal agendas out of sports. The PBL is a non-professional league, let it be what it is.