PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa, PBA chairman Robert Non and vice chairman Erick Arejola. Photo from @pbaconnect
Hounded by the Board’s decision to re-admit deposed marketing head Rhose Montreal, PBA chairman Robert Non clarified the air and said that the comments issued by select team owners is a welcome development to the league.
“It’s a positive way that we heard it from some team owners. We do appreciate that the team owners voiced out their opinions and the stakeholders, they are involved for the betterment of the league,” Non said in a short press conference on Sunday at Philsports Arena.
Non appeared in the presser together with PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa and vice chairman Erick Arejola.
READ: Uytengsu: Montreal rehiring speaks poorly of PBA
Alaska’s Fred Uytengsu and Blackwater’s Dioceldo Sy both took exception of the recent issue and openly criticized the move in recent reports the last few days.
“We had a process done with regards to the case of Ms. Montreal and the Board discussed it. Even the recommendations on possible sanctions, but at the end of the day, when Ms. Montreal appeared before the Board, she admitted what she did. She apologize and tendered her resignation which the Board approved,” he said. “In subsequence, we tackled the application of Ms. Rhose and others. The Board came our with the decision accepting Rhose, but with provisions.”
Montreal, according to Non, will be returning to her old post but will be on a six-month probationary period. She also foregone all of her benefits which came with the position when she resigned.
READ: Non: PBA gave ‘achiever’ Montreal second chance
The current PBA chairman added, “We entertained other applicants. Tiningnan naman namin kung kaya ba nila yung trabaho and yung accomplishments.”
Non said that Montreal got re-admitted because of her track record, noting that she had helped in driving in the revenues to keep the league afloat.
He also countered claims that the league is underperforming in terms of finances.
“How come there are other teams who wants to come in? There are still teams who continue to apply to the league,” Non argued.
Narvasa, meanwhile, welcomed the team owners’ statements, saying: “We are responsible and accountable for them and we thank them for the opportunity to be here in the league in making it a better league.”
He continued that to bolster the league’s decision, the Board will come out with the evaluation on the PBA’s progress through the first two conferences of this season.
“After this conference, we will come out with an evaluation. From there, we’ll see where are we going to go so we can understand what (the team owners) want from the league,” said Narvasa.