As the Bureau of Customs were making their Shakey’s V-League debut against the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons Monday evening, the Philippines Superliga dropped an axe on Tranformers Pau Soriano and Lilet Mabbayad, as both still had existing contracts with dormant PSL franchise Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance Lady Corvettes.
As the Lady Corvettes had decided not to enter the 2016 PSL Grand Prix, 24-year-old middle blocker Pau Soriano joined the Bureau of Customs Transformers in their Shakey’s V-League Reinforced Conference campaign. Moreover, both she and Mabbayad knew full well of the repercussions that it will bring, according to the two volleybelles.
“Meron naman silang agreement ng attorney namin sa BOC. Since hindi na nakapaglaro yung import namin, ayaw naman namin matalo yung team namin ng first game,” said Soriano, who had eight points in BOC’s win over UP.
“Alam na namin before the game,” Mabbayad said.
“Gusto namin mag-start kami ng maayos. Yung love at concern namin sa team nandoon. Come what may, maglalaro kami dahil kailangan kami ng team,” Soriano added.
“Yung concern kasi ay naka-connect kami sa kabilang liga. Although wala kaming team, hindi pa rin kami allowed mag-play unless ishou-shoulder ng Customs yung ipe-penalize sa amin na 50k.”
She then added that her new team knew about this going in, and that the Bureau of Customs are willing to shoulder the PHP 50,000 penalty handed to them. But with the majority of her former teammates from Navy entering military training, the former Adamson Lady Falcon decided on her own free will to join the V-League.
“Willing sila na mag-pay sa sanction. Nag-mimilitary training kasi mga teammates ko so after six months hindi pa naman [sure] na ready na sila maglaro e. E parang useless lang din, ayaw naman namin matengga ng ilang buwan,” she shared.
“Siyempre gusto rin namin nag mag-grow kami. Ayaw namin maging stagnant. Hindi pa naman kami ready mag-military training so nagdesisyon muna kami na maglaro kaysa wala kaming ginagawa.”
But with PSL’s one-league policy in play, Soriano is also facing a one-year suspension in the PSL. But for her, it’s part of the consequences she has to face after making her choice.
“Alam na namin ito. According to Sir Tats [Suzara], nung hindi pa kami nakakapaglaro, nung paglabas yung line-up at alam na maglalaro kami, automatic na na naka-ban na kami,” she disclosed. “Kahit hindi kami nag-laro, naka-ban pa rin kami. So ayun, nag-play na kami kasi pareho lang din e.”
“Siyempre ito yung choice ko at kailangan kong i-face yung consequence sa ginawa kong desisyon.”
