Not even a peso for Sonny’s services

Newly-designated PBA Officer-in-Charge Sonny Barrios said yesterday he’ll settle for a quarter—25 centavos—as compensation for taking over the league’s helm in the interim until a permanent commissioner is chosen by the Board of Governors in one to three months or up to the end of the Philippine Cup conference.

Barrios, 59, wouldn’t hear of accepting a salary for his services. Not even a peso. That’s how much he’s willing to sacrifice in paying back the PBA for giving him the best years of his life.

For 18 years, Barrios worked for the PBA—first as assistant to executive director Jun Bernardino, who recruited him, when Mariano Yenko was commissioner and Tommy Manotoc his deputy in 1984, then as head of finance with Rudy Salud as commissioner and finally, as executive director with Bernardino as commissioner.

When Bernardino fell ill and took a leave of absence for about half a year, Barrios was named OIC in 2001. Now, he’s back as OIC, a position, he joked, that appears to be exclusively his.

Barrios said it was a complete surprise to find out he was picked for the job.

“I thought I was part of the PBA’s permanent past,” he said. “Since I left the PBA in 2002, I’ve gone to the coliseum less than five times. I’ve hardly watched the games on TV because in the last four years, I’ve been in and out of the country working on our family business. But there will always be a special place in my heart for the PBA.”

Barrios said he was at home with wife Becky when outgoing PBA chairman Ricky Vargas informed him of his appointment on the phone. The first thing he did was to share the news with his mentor, Salud, whom he phoned.

“Now that I’ve overcome the surprise, I’m just excited to get to work,” he said. “Commissioner Noli (Eala) did a great job and my hope is to be able to at least sustain the growth of the league in my short assignment. I realize this job requires rock-solid integrity, creativity, business savvy and a passion for the game. I don’t want to let the Board down for the confidence it showed in choosing me as OIC.”

Right after his appointment was confirmed, Barrios met with PBA operations manager Rickie Santos for an immediate briefing. Then, after dinner, he visited his 82-year-old mother in Caloocan, about an hour’s drive away from his home, to inform her of his decision to accept the job.

“I intend to make it easy for the incoming commissioner to take over as my job is transitory in nature,” said Barrios. “I don’t think I can or will do anything monumental in my short stint and I don’t intend to. I just want to be able to do well in bridging the gap between Noli’s unexpected departure and the arrival of a permanent commissioner. But I will try to improve officiating, which is a major concern. Competence and fairness are the cornerstones of good officiating.”

Barrios said his mandate is to implement the plans on the table to clear the way for a smooth transition.

“I won’t take on what’s not on my plate, like the issue of the PBA’s participation in international competitions or major rule changes,” said Barrios. “I will rely on the Board’s guidance when it comes to those policy issues since my role is transitory. As for the staff, I have no plans of removing anyone. I don’t anticipate any personnel movements unless there are voluntary resignations. I’m not moving in to dislodge anybody.”

Barrios, however, said he will request Board approval to bring in lawyer Chito Salud, former National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. president.

Salud, 45, said he is available to work with Barrios—also without pay.

“Chito is not designation-conscious,” said Barrios. “He could be a consultant. Together, we hope to do our work efficiently and competently. With the PBA’s glowing performance during Commissioner Noli’s term, we don’t plan to drop the ball. This is a full-time commitment for a maximum of one conference and we’ll do our best to serve with honor.”