IS there any truth to the sale?

The PBA Board of Governors convenes today hours before the Commissioner’s Cup  begins, looking forward for the long-awaited disclosure from Powerade and the San Miguel Group if a purchase by SMC of Powerade has been made.

Chairman Mamerto Mondragon of Rain or Shine will preside the meeting set to start at 11 a.m. at the PBA Office in Libis, and members of the board are expected to be in complete attendance as the official announcement from the two franchises is to be made and put to rest the disturbing rumors circulating the past two weeks.

“There are no documents and there has been no official word,” said Mondragon. “I have called this emergency meeting so that we can hear from Powerade and from the San Miguel Group what the real score is.”

Powerade reportedly was purchased back by the San Miguel Group at a staggering amount of P100 million, some P40 million more from the price of a new franchise. Powerade, formerly Coca-Cola, used to be a team under SMC until the beverage company decided to bolt in 2006.

Yet this is not the real issue.

If the sale pushes through, the San Miguel Group will now have four teams in the league, and members of the Board are now deeply concerned over the balance of power in the PBA.

The San Miguel Group has Petron, B-Meg, and Ginebra. The group of Manny V. Pangilinan has two teams in Talk ‘N Text and Meralco while the Bert Lina group has Barako Bull and Air21.

As far as the PBA is concerned, however, Powerade remains an independent franchise.

“All sales, transfers or assignments of team franchises will be valid only upon the approval of two-thirds of the 10 member teams,” said Salud. 

“Formal notice must be sent to the Office of the Commissioner of any intention to sell the transferor team. Short of these basic requisites, Coke (Powerade) remains a member of good standing entitled to all rights and obligations attendant to regular membership.”

“I look forward to our board meeting on Friday where these speculations can be discussed openly and with transparency in the best interest of our fans.”

Another concern has been the transfer of marquee players from a franchise about to be sold to the franchise intending to buy it, and the movement appears to have been already set in motion as far as the Tigers and the San Miguel Group are concerned.

Marcio Lassiter, the Powerade rookie who contended for the Best Player of the Conference award, has already been arranged to be shipped to Petron in exchange for two players who have rarely seen action – Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra.

Baclao and Guevarra, though, were members of the Top Three picks in the last Rookie Draft. Baclao was the No. 1 choice and Guevarra No. 3.

The official trade document has been forwarded to  Salud for approval.

Salud, however, is not expected to come out with a decision soon.

Joaqui Trillo, team manager of Alaska, said that he will ask Salud that the pact be turned down.