LESS than a year into its existence, the MPBL may face its first-ever legal battle.
Officials of the Muntinlupa Cagers have vowed to ‘exercise all legal remedies’ as they rued what they described as the 'flip-flopping' of MPBL officials on the team's decision to acquire two players from the free-agent market.
“They have always been like that, they will agree to our request then suddenly they will recant their earlier statements," said Muntinlupa legal counsel Jemina Sy. "And most of the time, they don’t have [it in] black and white.”
“Para bang everything is not cast in stone. They just change the rules most of the time. Walang professionalism,” she added.
Sy took the MPBL management to task after the team signed up former Paranaque stars Harold Arboleda and Ryusei Koga, who were released by the Patriots following a change in management.
“So, when they released the two, obviously kailangan namin, kinuha namin. Pinapirma namin ng kontrata. That’s the usual routine,” she said, adding the MPBL even listed the two on the free-agent market.
“And before namin pinapirma yung dalawa, nagsabi pa kami kay commissioner [Kenneth Duremdes]. Tapos ang sagot naman nya, depende na sa diskarte ng teams yan on how you can get the players to sign. So pinapirma namin,” added Sy.
But in a sudden turn of events, Sy claimed Duremdes recalled the two players and sent them to Pampanga (Koga) and Zamboanga (Arboleda).
“Kenneth told us, siya raw magde-decide kung saan dapat mapunta ang mga free agent players. That to us is totally absurd,” she said.
“Ryusei Koga and Harold Arboleda were already players duly signed by Muntinlupa, tapos biglang magde-declare si commissioner na sa ibang team sila dapat. May contract na yung players sa amin and they even joined our Christmas party,” said the Muntinlupa official.
Sy is also seeking an explanation on why Duremdes and the MPBL released two memos regarding free agency that she said is meant to invalidate the legality of Muntinlupa's signing of the two players.
“Isang taon na ang liga sa January pero up to now, wala pa rin silang nire-release na guidebook ng liga which should serve as the team’s basis on leagues rules,” she said.
Still, Sy reiterated that the team is still all out in supporting Pacquiao in his bid to make the MPBL a league for the masses.
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