INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Unmindful of the dugout bliss, Japeth Aguilar breathed heavily as a question about Burger King was thrown his way.

The 6-foot-10 Smart Gilas Pilipinas National Team center then paused for a moment, collected his thoughts and spoke his mind on the controversy.

?It makes me look bad every time somebody asks me about Burger King,'' said the 22-year-old Aguilar after a stellar output that propelled Gilas to a 98-69 whipping of Powerade RP Team in a charity game Monday night.

?They (Whoppers) still have the rights after picking me up in the draft. But I want to serve my country first,'' he added.

The former Western Kentucky University slotman also voiced out his awareness with respect to Philippine Basketball Association rules on rookies that opted to refuse the offer of their mother ball clubs.

?As far as I know, I haven't broken any (PBA) rule. If I decide not to sign up (with Burger King), they still own the rights for the next two years,'' said Aguilar.

Based on PBA rules, a rookie who refused to sign with the team that drafted him will have to sit out the entire season.

The player will be offered a new contract the following season but if he decides to turn it down again, the team has no choice but to release the player, making him available for the next PBA draft.

?Hopefully, things will go well. I just want to stick with this team (Gilas) because I have bonded with the players and the coaching staff pretty well,'' said Aguilar.

PBA chairman and BK team manager Lito Alvarez said he would elevate the case to the league's board of governors once the ongoing negotiations between the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and his team ended up in futility.

Aguilar, who played for Powerade in the recent Fiba Asia Championship in Tianjin, China, was selected by the Whoppers as the top overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft.

The Whoppers dangled a maximum allowable compensation of P8.7 million to Aguilar for the next three years.