MANILA, Philippines — The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas said Tab Baldwin will continue to hold his position as project director for Gilas Pilipinas despite being in hot water due to his comments that did not sit well with local coaches and the PBA last month.
SBP executive director Sonny Barrios, though, cleared that not everything is guaranteed for the long haul.
“Sa ngayon wala naman not unless magsasalita ulit siya ng wala sa lugar,” Barrios said during Tuesday’s PSA Forum.
(Right now, there are no [changes] unless he makes comments again that are out of place.]
“In any given situation, nobody has a lock on position, not me, not Butch, not anybody,” added Barrios, who was joined by SBP director for operations in the weekly webcast.
Barrios also said SBP president Al Panlilio is planning to set up a video conference with Baldwin and other top SBP officials to discuss about the Gilas program’s future.
Baldwin has already been fined P75,000 by the PBA and suspended for three games in his capacity as assistant coach of TNT Katropa, a position which he no longer holds since his statements.
“Mr. Panlilio said the opinions that Tab Baldwin expressed were his personal ones, they were not aligned with the position of the SBP and certainly, not aligned with the personal opinion of president Al Panlilio,” Barrios said.
Baldwin’s role will be critical in the country’s campaign in the 2023 Fiba World Cup, which the Philippines will co-host with Japan and Indonesia.