WITH a controversial Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) ruling hanging over their heads, a number of players are starting to back out of the Visayas leg of the upcoming Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup.
Forwards Enrico Llanto and Edrian Lao have backed out from playing for the ARQ Builders-Lapu-Lapu City Heroes while KCS Computer Specialist-Mandaue City’s JR Ongteco has also begged off from playing.
MJAS Zenith-Talisay City’s Tristan Albina and Jaymar Gimpayan are also set to sit out, days after the MPBL issued a ruling that any of its players who play in the Vismin Cup will be classified as professional players upon their return.
The first-ever professional basketball league in the south will tip off this Friday at the Alcantara Civic Center.
Llanto and Lao play for Bataan and Cebu City in the MPBL while Ongteco played for Bicol last season. Gimpayan and Albina, meanwhile, play for Valenzuela.
The five's eligibility came under question after the league founded by Senator Manny Pacquiao came out with a memo stating that players in the VisMin Cup will be considered as “pros” in the eyes of the MPBL.
MPBL rules limit teams to only seven “pro” players, with only five allowed to play in a single game. The MPBL league labels itself as a semi-pro league, even if all their players receive salaries.
ARQ head coach Francis Auquico said the loss of Llanto and Lao is a big setback for the team's frontline.
“Malaking kawalan sila sa amin. Pero we have to move forward without them and maximize the rest of our players,” said Auquico. “We expect Rino berame and Ricric Ochea to step up sa pagkawala nina Lao at Llanto.”
It is no surprise that players with guaranteed MPBL spots are wary of risking their status in the league. MPBL clubs offer higher pay and run longer seasons than the Vismin Cup, whose inaugural tournament will run for just two months.
However, KCS head coach Mike Reyes is still hoping the MPBL can put an end to all the ambiguity by amending its eligibility rule.
“Alam natin lahat na ang teams sa MPBL are much stronger than the teams sa VisMin. The VisMin teams are merely tagged as professionals," said the decorated coach.
"Now, if MPBL can make a rule na if VisMin ka naglaro, hindi ka muna ico-consider as pro, pwede gawin ng MPBL yun eh. If they do that, mas mamahalin lalo ng mga tao ang MPBL,” he added.
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