CHICAGO - The San Miguel Beermen have once again picked the pockets of gullible Terrafirma Dyip.
Although it's not a crime, it's a flagrant foul. A cruel assault against the common sense of loyal PBA fans.
Back in 2017, Terrafirma surrendered their rights to the No. 1 pick to the Beermen in a trade that was universally vilified and allegedly led to the ouster of former PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa.
This time, as explained by team board governor Bobby Rosales, Terrafirma is giving up CJ Perez to the Beermen for three ancillary pieces and the opportunity to acquire "one more talent" to go with the No. 1 pick that they currently have for the March 14 draft.
"So we thought also that having two picks in the first round at No. 1 and No. 8 would give us a better chance of getting the better talent in this coming draft," Rosales told SPIN.ph.
I beg your pardon, Mr. Rosales, but for the second time since 2017, I'm afraid Terrafirma dropped the ball again.
But this latest stunt is no longer a blunder. This is an abuse of ignorance.
Why trade a verified diamond for an extra draft trinket that may turn out to hold no value at all?
Just approaching his prime at age 27, the 6-foot-2, 187-pound Perez burnished his reputation as a franchise player by winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 while earning a spot in both the Mythical First Team and the All-Defensive Team.

A former scoring champion by way of Lyceum, Perez stood out in the Philippine Cup bubble where he averaged 24.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Obviously, Perez is one of the few functioning parts of this rundown Dyip franchise that logged a miserable 12-32 won-lost record the past two seasons.
CJ IS THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM.
But since one team's folly is another team's feast, San Miguel once again stands on the brink of pulling off a brazen heist on its way to an invigorated grand slam bid.
Poor Terrafirma, meanwhile, meanders yet again as a Dyip to nowhere.
If Terrafirma is not interested in winning and uses the PBA only as a vehicle to advance its products, then that's their prerogative as a franchise holder.
What they shouldn't be allowed to do, however, is to wreck the league in the process and alienate an already thinning fan base.
This one-sided swap does not serve the best interest of the PBA. It only contributes to the continuing debilitation of the league's credibility as well as the erosion of competitive balance.
And that's why PBA commissioner Willie Marcial must step in and press the red light so that prudence and equity will shine.
Tama na. Sobra Na. Palitan na.

I never imagined a day would come that I will be effusively. feverishly rooting for this often beleaguered, sometimes conflicted powerful sports figure.
But I do now.
Stop all these foolish, suspicious trades that have bedeviled the PBA for years, Kume Marcial.
January is about to meekly surrender to February. But it's never too late for a New Year's resolution.
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