CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Encho Serrano and Justine Baltazar will no longer play for the Pampanga Delta in the NBL finals that will start on Thursday at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center here.
Serrano and Baltazar played vital roles in the Delta’s run in the elimination round as the La Salle duo helped their team earn a 5-1 win-loss slate prior to the postponement of the games due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Serrano and Baltazar will not be part of their team’s campaign inside the bubble here following the granting of professional status to the NBL by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) last August.
The two Pampanga cagers actually have the option to apply for a “special guest license” to the GAB which will allow Serrano and Baltazar to remain as an amateur despite playing in the professional leagues.
It is the same license acquired by Juan Gomez de Liano, who is skipping the next season with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, to suit up in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3, which also has professional status.
The special guest license, however, could be a contentious issue in the UAAP since college players are strictly prohibited from playing in professional leagues.
With Serrano and Baltazar out, the Delta beefed up their roster by acquiring Dexter Maiquez, Michael Juico, and Levi Hernandez for the finals against the La Union PAOwer.
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