Someone from the ’old’ doing something ’new’

By Joel Orellana
Business Mirror
September 10, 2007

Renauld “Sonny” Barrios calls himself the ’Bagong Luma [The new old],’ luma [old] for he had served the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for 18 years as a trusted soldier of commissioners Rudy Salud and the late Jun Bernardino.

And bago [new] as he is back with the league he loved most, every aspect of the league right now is new to him. But this time, the man known to his friends as Sonny B. is now calling the shots for the 33-year-old institution.

Even in interim basis. Six months to be exact.

“Right now, we’re preparing for the opening because I just got briefed about the status of the league,” said Barrios in an interview with BusinessMirror at the league’s office in Libis, Quezon City.

“I’m feeling my way because I’m not been aware of what’s happening in the PBA since I retired from December 2002 up to August 13, 2007. Come August 14, I’m a working guy again,” Barrios added with a big smile.

The amiable officer-in-charge (OIC) sees no problem working with the team that resigned commissioner Noli Eala left early August as Barrios knew most of them during his time with the league.

“When chairman [Ricky] Vargas appointed me as OIC, I assured these people that all their jobs are safe, even those people who have sensitive positions. I can work with anybody.”

When Eala left the league because of personal reasons, the board opted for the safest solution by hiring Sonny B.

But the path of reuniting with the PBA never came so simple for the 59-year-old Barrios. In fact, the process he went through brought back a disheartening experience in his career.

“Bagong Luma” shares the journey back and his goals in the PBA, the league he called home for almost two decades.

Silver lining of losing

Sonny B. admits that when Bernardino stepped down from his post in 2002 because of health reasons, he would be the next in line for the commissionership.

But the coveted job went to the young Eala.

“I was really sad when I wasn’t picked as commissioner,” Barrios recalled as what many thought he would be a shoo-in for the position with the experience and credentials he had.

“But I think there was a silver lining of not getting the commissionership in 2002. Little that I knew, I became closer to my family especially to my three children whom I got the chance to know better when I retired,” Barrios added.

For four years and seven and a half months, Barrios detached himself from the PBA and became a family man.

“Mrs. B said, at least we have now time to take care of our project in the States. It’s hard to be a peso earner and yet be a dollar spender. We need to have a dollar-earner project.”

The Barrioses were now ready to leave the country after getting a license for their “care home project” in America, which took them two years to complete.

“We’re very happy that time we got our license. At least we can now operate legally for our clients,” Barrios explained. “We went back just to wrap up and spend my son’s birthday [September 3], then we’re off to the US for good.”

But it did not happen. Eala resigned and the league immediately searched for a replacement and Barrios’s name was included on the short list. Barrios did not take that news item seriously.

“I really thought my name was just added,” he said. “Because I thought I was already part of the permanent past of the PBA. The truth is I made the PBA part of my permanent past.”

“But my name never disappeared from the news. I thought there must be something to it,” he added.

Webbed by Webb

Barrios’ interest for the job took a dip a bit when news broke out that former basketball legend and Olympian Freddie Webb was a strong bet for the job. It came out on the eve of the board meeting in August 13.

“I thought about it. Others even gave the numbers, 7-2 in favor of Webb. Then my daughter called me and asked me what about our home care project, I said don’t worry my name was just dragged into it,” he said.

On the day of announcement, Barrios thought he lost another fight, like in 2002. He slept through it and turned his cell phone off.

“I didn’t want to answer any reporter who might call asking for my reaction on having lost for the second time.”

Mrs. B. woke him up as Bobong Velez, a close friend, had been searching for him to relay the message that he got the nod of the PBA board.

“Then Mr. Vargas called and he told me that the board is seriously considering me only as OIC. ’That’s what came out in reports and they clarified that to me,” he noted.

And as they say, the rest is history. But for Barrios, it is just a beginning of a long-delayed dream.

Trusted man

Not known to many, former commissioner Rudy Salud played a big part in convincing Barrios to reconsider the offer.

“Unfortunately, Jun B. is no longer around. And the next best person to talk to was commissioner Salud. We’re going to be together. We talked it over lunch,” said Barrios.

“He told me ‘Sonny, I’m saying this without trying to impose on you, maybe you can adjust your schedule and look at serving the association for a conference.’”

“I said I can adjust. Mrs. B. can go ahead first but I need help,” Barrios explained.

The name of Atty. Chito Salud, son of the former commissioner, came out as Barrios requested him to the board to be part of his team, as legal counsel to be exact.

“It’s important to have a legal mind that you know. This is not something I’m inventing or whimsical. It has been done by the forefathers in the PBA.”

Barrios narrated that when the league was being formed, founding commissioner Leo Prieto told the team owners like Danny Floro and—Ricardo Silverio that he can work with anybody as the PBA had its administrative staff from the old MICAA.

Prieto brought in Rudy Salud as the league top legal man. When Salud became commissioner, he picked Atty. Butch Cleofe to be in on his side. Cleofe stayed for a while when Eala took the post, then Atty. Melvin Mendoza came in.

Challenges and challenges

“I’M just a transitional officer here. But I’m looking at this by not saying I don’t care for the next conference. In fact, I do care. We want to place things in order for the next commissioner,” said Barrios.

“I’m not thinking long term. I want to make sure I don’t drop the ball. As chairman Tony Chua said, what is important is now.”

Officiating would be the centerpiece of his program as team owners were unanimous in telling Barrios as their main concern right now.

“Being fair and objective is not enough. I told my referees, we have to be perceived by the fans as objective and fair. Perception, when it becomes out of touch with reality, becomes reality,” said Barrios.

‘Chito Salud has been given the task of taking care of the physical conditioning of the referees. According to Barrios, Salud, 45, runs five kilometers each morning.

Competitive balance is another concern for him though Barrios admitted that “when I came in, it’s already there. But the rules of the PBA are well [grounded] that’s why I don’t see any problem with that.”

Barrios is also looking at the expanded competitiveness of the PBA because he feels that the old PBA is very much different compared to the new PBA as far as its competitive nature is concerned.

“Before, the PBA was No. 1 sports entertainment in the country; there weren’t any malls then. We competed maybe against movies and beerhouses,” said Barrios. “But now, there are a lot of competition—malls, Internet, cable television, video games and others.”

The league’s participation in international competition is also something new for Barrios as during his time, the league would only lend its players to Asian Games.

“We resisted that before because it wasn’t in the mandate of the PBA to represent the country, that was BAP jurisdiction. Commissioner Salud then made a compromise to do it for the Asian Games because the public might think the PBA is selfish,” he said.

Barrios knows that this is no longer the situation as the league has a mandate from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to spearhead the country’s participation in international competitions.

“We have different parameters now. We are adjusting to the Bagong Luma [New Old]. But the actual game, it’s still the same and we should take care of it because that is our product.