Narvasa asks Kia: Will Pacquiao stay in PBA or put up his own league?

SENATOR Manny Pacquiao has put up his latest contribution to Philippine basketball as he created the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), but that only left a lot of questions from the PBA, the league where the eighth- division world champion is currently coaching.

Although his contract as a player already expired, Mr. Pacquiao is still the current head coach of the Kia Picanto squad in the PBA, which means he cannot enter into an agreement in a similar league in a major capacity.

PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa has raised the question on Kia management regarding Mr. Pacquiao’s involvement in a new league.

“I sent the same question to Kia. They said they are currently negotiating ( with Pacquiao) and to give them a little bit more time to answer. Besides, the league associated with Senator Pacquiao has not yet started so technically, there is still no conflict,” Mr. Narvasa wrote in a text message to BusinessWorld.

Kia is currently on its third season in the PBA and has officially bowed out of the ongoing Governors’ Cup. Mr. Pacquiao is one among its original members, serving as playing coach for nearly three seasons.

His contract as a player in the third conference expired, but he continued to serve as head coach of the squad.

Several members of the PBA board had already raised their concern about the matter.

Reports had it that Mr. Pacquiao’s new league is not meant to compete against any other leagues in the country, particularly the PBA, but a source privy to the discussion of the soon to be launched commercial league told BusinessWorld that MPBL is set to pay its players as high as P250,000 a month. —