IN the PBA, a free agent can only be signed by a sister team once he is waived by every other team in the league.
Only then can a player be picked up off waivers.
This isn’t the case in the PVL for the time being in the absence of such rules on free agency specific to transactions between sister teams that continue to be disputed by the league’s 12-team field.
READ Why Farm Fresh trio's transfer to sister team Zus will be cleared by PVL
It also paved the way for ZUS Coffee to directly sign three players from its sister team Farm Fresh during the offseason without any other team getting a hand on the chance to sign Kate Santiago, Chinnie Arroyo, and Joan Narit.
The three players, according to officials of the two teams, had expired contracts with Farm Fresh, making them free agents that can sign with any team they wish to join.
No ‘showcase period’
PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo delved into the specifics of the league’s existing free agency regulations, in which he bared the contentions raised by supporters and critics of sister-team players transactions.
“We actually have a regulation regarding free agents which includes ‘yung transfer of a player na nag-expire or tinerminate ‘yung contract to a sister team."
Malonzo added, “Tama ka na dapat may showcase period kumbaga bago kunin ng sister team. Kaso, hindi namin natapos ‘yung discussion kasi du’n sa group namin, we’re revising the rules, some members say na kailangan, kapag sister team [transcations], bawal, period.
“‘Yung take naman ng iba is kawawa naman. Kunyari ayaw o bawal siya lumipat sa sister team, eh paano kung walang ibang team na kumuha? Kawawa ‘yung player. Du’n kami nag-finalize na i-showcase muna.”
New rules
To provide an airtight regulation on how transactions of such nature will unfold moving forward, the league will adapt the PBA’s free agency rule to guide future deals involving sister teams.
“Ang huling usapan namin, isang buwan [ang showcase period] pero masyadong matagal. Tapos nauwi nga sa 15 calendar days. I think that was the last, so we’ll just publish it and then eventually release it by the end of the year,” said Malonzo.
He then confirmed how the Farm Fresh-ZUS Coffee played out: the latter team got the first and only crack at the Foxies trio and went on to sign them as free agents.
“Hindi nangyari ‘yun [between Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee] kasi hindi pa namin na-release ‘yung regulation. Ang meron tayo based sa previous events is pre-terminate tapos transfer or trade, bawal ‘yun, which was clear naman sa ZUS and Farm Fresh.
“Kapag pre-terminate tapos lilipat sa sister team, alam nila bawal. Nilinaw naman sa’kin, ‘Rest assured, Sherwin, nag-expire ‘yung contract nung tatlo.’
Malonzo furthered, “Dahil hindi pa implemented ‘yung showcase rule, hindi muna namin ginalaw, inallow muna namin.”
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