BARANGAY Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua said Sen. Bong Go has offered the league to purchase vaccines from the government for its players, coaches, and other personnel.
Chua said Go expressed willingness in helping the league with its vaccine supply that would hopefully allow the PBA to stage a season under a closed-circuit format.
“I asked him (Go) about the vaccine,” said Chua during Thursday’s press briefing. “I asked him kung puwede ba kaming ma-anuhan ng vaccine. Ang maganda rito, ang sabi ni Sen. Bong, para makapag-umpisa at matulungan, mismong ang buong PBA family, kapag dumating ‘yung sa government, bebentahan niya ang buong PBA para makapagsimula na.”
“’Yung manggagaling sa government, bebentahan niya ang PBA. Bibigyan niya kami ng special slot para ma-vaccine ang mga players, pati pamilya ng mga players. Pati coaches, managers, lahat. At the same time, aappeal kami sa IATF so we can start ‘yung ensayo ng PBA,” said Chua.
Chua and PBA commissioner Willie Marcial met with Go and executive secretary Salvador Medialdea on Wednesday to express the league’s desire to play the 2021 season, as much as possible, through a closed-circuit in which teams will be allowed to go home during the course of the entire competition.
The vaccines from the government will be an additional supply for the league as the mother company of the teams also have their own vaccination program. The San Miguel group and the MVP group have also committed to donate vaccines to the league.
Chua said the vaccines from the government will give the teams a chance to get inoculated that would allow the PBA to resume play this year.
“Pinayagan kami ni Sen. Bong na mag-purchase ng sarili naming vaccine. What’s going to happen here is that whichever comes first, kung dumating sa San Miguel, kung dumating sa government, kung ano puwede roon, kung ano mas nauna, ‘yun ang gagamitin para at least, ma-vaccine na ‘yung mga players at coaches natin para makapagsimula na,” said Chua.
For his part, Marcial said teams can still purchase vaccines from private firms despite the government offer.
“Sinabi ni Sen. Bong na hihingi kami tulong kay (vaccine czar) Secretary (Carlitio) Galvez na magkaroon ng allocation ang PBA pero sinasabi din nila, kung may vaccine ang mga teams ninyo, puwede kayong mag-vaccine. Hindi sinasabing nag-jajump tayo ‘yun daw ang karapatan ng kumpanya kung sino ang iva-vaccine.”
“Ang tinitignan namin, mabentahan tayo o mabigyan tayo ng allocation na babayaran natin to government kay Secretary Galvez. Two, kung makakuha ang teams natin ng vaccine,” said Marcial.
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