SAN Sebastian may be ready to move on, but it seems the ghosts of NCAA Season 101 continues to haunt Recto.
Insiders told SPIN.ph that until now, backer Jackson Chua has yet to pay his full obligations to the Golden Stags, from head coach Rob Labagala and his staff to the players.
"Wala pa rin," said one source who requested anonimity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Sources added that Labagala is set to be let go after just one season at the helm for the storied program, with the school opting to no longer renew the first-year mentor and is inclined to name his replacement by the end of the week.
His ouster, though, didn't come out of left field.
Word from the grapevine has Baste leaning towards cutting ties with the former Ginebra guard, as the team scrambled to a 1-7 start in the seniors basketball tournament.
Then, Labagala courageously spoke out on the problems that has plagued San Sebastian following an 82-81 upset of Letran last October 29, sharing that Chua has not delivered on his commitment to the team since June.
READ: Stags coaches, players 'haven't received salary, allowances for 4 months'
The same sources corroborated the claim, stating that the last time they got their owed salaries and allowances was back in May, when the team was still competing in the PlayTime Cares Filoil EcoOil 18th Preseason Cup.
That means that for the duration of the season proper, the team got nothing from Chua.
San Sebastian, the school, does its part
Let it be said, however, that the educational institution itself has fulfilled its own obligations to coaches it signed since Labagala's term started in March last year.
The source explained, "Hindi naman nagkulang yung school. Sa napag-usapan, hati yung school at si Jackson. So yung sa school, patuloy silang nagbibigay. Yung part ni Jackson na mas malaki ang hindi dumarating."
Labagala and his staff were paid by San Sebastian for the amount indicated in the contract they signed with the school, with Chua committing to pay the remainder of their agreed salaries.
The problem, however, was that there are no written contracts between these individuals and Chua, as the deal, most of which was verbal in nature, was made "in good faith."
"Hindi naman inasahan ng coaches na magkakaganito," the source said.
Worse, there are players - mostly blue-chip recruits such as Jhuniel Dela Rama and Ian Cuajao - who were supposed to receive their allowances directly from Chua, but have not gotten that exactly.
That has led Labagala and the staff to seek help of the school to somehow augment these missed obligations, although it needs to be noted that what the school could give is way lower than what was promised to these players.
"Halos one-eighth lang nang naipangako yung kayang ibigay ng school, and hindi nila kasalanan kasi hindi naman sila yung kausap nung recruitment," the source elaborated.
Enduring these financial hardships had led to some of the players missing practices, with a few messaging that they were unable to go to practice, as they no longer have the money to commute to Baste.
Though some players did have a choice to live in the Golden Stags' dorm, a few have families to take care of which had led to these complications.
It's no surprise that the outcome reflected the struggles San Sebastian went through on the court, going winless in the famed preseason tourney and winding up with a measly 3-10 win-loss record come the NCAA itself.
Though Labagala and his staff tried their best to keep the team focused, it was difficult for them to compete at their best with hunger and anxiety clouding over their heads.
What the future holds in Recto
Of course, there still were positives from that failed campaign for Baste, most notably dela Rama earning his place in the Mythical Team and being named as Defensive Player of the Year.
Other than that, though, rays of light were few and far between.
Since their ouster, Labagala has heard from the school only once last December, sources bared.
Worse, San Sebastian has seemingly moved on and is ready to proceed to the future, telling players to keep things under wraps, as it plots its next chapter - all while having these unresolved issues.
This has led to a few players rethinking their situations, on whether to stay or to just transfer elsewhere, with two already having transferred.
Even dela Rama himself is being wooed by other schools and squads who are intent to feature him in their frontline.
It's a big mystery on whether Chua will still honor his commitment with the Golden Stags, as his contract supporting the team lasts longer than that of the correct coaches.
It's a bigger question, too, if the coaches and players will still get what they're owed.
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