Outgoing PBA chair assures league will open as scheduled

Outgoing PBA chairman Mikee Romero. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson

Outgoing league chairman Mikee Romero of GlobalPort assured everyone that the 43rd PBA season will go on as planned.

“Rest assured, the 2018 PBA season will start at December 17,” he said in his speech in the 2017 PBA Press Corps Annual Awards Thursday at Gloria Maris Restaurant in Cubao.

The soft-spoken executive has allayed fears of a delay of the next season amid the current dispute between the Board of Governors.

“By next week, we will fix everything. This impasse will come to an end. I would confidently say that divisiveness, the impasse will finish next week. Whatever group you’re part of, this will all end,” he said.

Seven teams, namely TNT, Meralco, NLEX, Alaska, Rain or Shine, Phoenix, and Blackwater, have expressed their lack of confidence on PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa and called for his ouster, while the remaining five — San Miguel, Ginebra, Magnolia, GlobalPort, and Kia — has backed the beleaguered executive through this crisis.

Romero brushed off the dispute and attributed the conflict to the team’s unwavering passion for winning.

“Like a normal family, there will always be problems. We’re all passionate and that’s the reason why we got here. But it’s in the interest of all 12 corporations, all 12 teams to put up a league by December 17,” he said.

The GlobalPort governor also guaranteed that the league is preparing for a booming season opener come two weeks time.

“By December 17, the PBA is preparing a big opening day. The PBA will be as scheduled and will be business as usual. We will fix this,” he said.