Burger King team ready to let go of Arboleda?

source: gmanews.tv

After losing controversial top overall pick Japeth Aguilar, Burger King’s title campaign in the PBA hit a snag anew following the suspension of veteran guard Wynne Arboleda.

But the Whopper management entertains no plans of appealing the case of its player, who has been banned by the PBA for the rest of the 2009-2010 season for assaulting a fan during Burger King’s game with Smart Gilas last Friday.

“He has to do it (appeal the suspension) on his own," Burger King team manager and PBA chairman Lito Alvarez said. “Burger King, being a global organization, won’t condone such actions. Pero hindi namin inaalis yung karapatan na yun kay Wynne so if he will appeal his case to Commissioner (Sonny) Barrios, he has to do it on his personal capacity."

Arboleda, the only original member of the Lina Group franchise, might also find himself playing for another team as Burger King sent a proposal to Barako Bull coach Leo Isaac for a possible trade even before his harsh penalty was handed down by Barrios.

“There was a proposal," Isaac confirmed to GMANews.TV. “Boss Lito (Alvarez) told me that baka ma-suspend si Wynne ng ilang games so baka daw maging interested ako. I told him, I’m going to bring this up to the management, parang magiging management to management na usapan nila."

“But since may decision na yung PBA to ban him for the rest of the season, I don’t think this (possible trade) will push through," he added.

Arboleda, who happens to be the son-in-law of the majority owner of Burger King’s PBA franchise, has been banned from playing the remainder of the 2009-2010 season that’s only on its second week.

Alvarez said even if Arboleda got a lighter penalty from the Commissioner’s office, Burger King would still impose its own sanction on the cager.

“Kung halimbawa nga na (up to the) end of the eliminations lang yung binigay sa kanya na suspension, ako mismo as team manager would impose my own suspension on my player," said Alvarez.

“I’ve been thinking nga at that time na huwag na rin siyang palaruin talaga sa team, that is why I brought the possibility of trading Wynne even before he was banned by the PBA. I brought the matter to (Burger King) coach Yeng Guiao," added Alvarez.

But Alvarez said Guiao has requested him to see what happens in their next three games first, whether the remaining guards – Chico Lanete, newly-acquired Ronjay Buenafe and Egay Billones – can fill in the void left by the veteran quarterback.