NLEX was expected to give the final word on the status of its membership in the PBA yesterday but as early as Friday, PBA media bureau head Willie Marcial and NLEX team manager Ronald Dulatre have been flooded with inquiries from media and other interested parties.
From Cagayan De Oro City, where he is overseeing the game between Meralco and San Miguel Beer, Marcial advised the Inquirer yesterday that NLEX has requested the PBA Commissioner’s office for a second extension.
However, commissioner Chito Salud has yet to inform him of the new deadline, Marcial said.
“The letter of request was sent to his office, I haven’t had the chance to read it,” Marcial added.
* * *
“We were given up to June 16 to decide if we are coming in as an expansion team or as an old franchise,” Dulatre said, explaining that the latter meant NLEX will be buying an existing franchise, lock stock and barrel.
Buying an existing franchise will help NLEX achieve its objective of being more competitive.
But then everyone knows this will come at a high cost, presumably at a very high cost.
“The old franchise could cost more than double the amount of an expansion franchise, at the very least,” disclosed a member of the PBA board.
Dulatre said that he cannot reveal as yet which franchise NLEX is eyeing, although many suspect the team has been in deep negotiation with a ballclub, and may just be tying the loose ends at this point.
The NLEX Road Warriors leave for Hong Kong and Macau on Thursday. The trip is part of their bonus for recently winning their sixth championship in the PBA D-League.
They will be back on June 15, eve of the announcement of their PBA status.
Dulatre expects management to have several more rounds of meetings before they leave for their bonus trip.
The top brass of NLEX composed of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation president/CEO Ramoncito Fernandez and Manila North Tollways Corp.’s Rod Franco, president/CEO Chris Lizo and Dulatre, treasury senior manager met Friday night.
“We should be meeting within the next few days with MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan), the MPTC chair, for the final plan,” Dulatre said.
* * *
After the brief interview with the NLEX official yesterday, one thing became crystal clear in my mind: The D-League multititlist is definitely in. It’s just a question of whether it is coming in as an expansion team or as an old franchise.
According to Marcial, if NLEX is coming in as an old franchise, this will again require the approval of the board.