Finally, Eric Menk is allowed to play!

[wax]

it's final, the DOJ has allowed eric menk to play again in the pba by approving his citizenship status. another good news for the pba and the philippine basketball!


from the inquirer:


It’s go for Menk;
PBA says ‘No!’
Posted: 9:44 PM (Manila Time) | July 26, 2001
By Marc Anthony Reyes
Inquirer News Service



GAMES TODAY (Philsports)
5:15 p.m.--Tanduay vs Purefoods
7:30 p.m.--Ginebra vs Red Bull

THERE’S good news and bad news for Tanduay Gold.

:: Advertisement ::

The good news is, Eric Menk has been finally allowed to play professionally after the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday ruled that he indeed has Filipino blood.

Now, for the bad news: The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) won’t let him play until the next conference because the deadline for submission of the final lineup for the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup had expired last Saturday.

It was a devastating blow for the Rhummasters, who for almost two years now have been trying to bring back Menk into the fold despite initial disapproval by the DOJ and the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

"We are trying our best to convince the PBA to allow Menk to play," said Chito Bugia, Tanduay team manager. "In fact he (Menk) is there appealing with the league officials even as we speak. It would be a pity if he couldn’t play for us tomorrow."

PBA acting commissioner Sonny Barrios said Thursday night the decision remains unchanged.

Tanduay needs to beat Purefoods twice to make it to the semifinals.

Batang Red Bull battles Barangay Ginebra at 7:30 p.m., needing only to win to advance.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez on Wednesday asked the BI to recognize Menk as a Filipino citizen after it was established that Menk’s mother, Lucia Padua Menk, wasn’t an American citizen yet when she gave birth to Eric on Aug. 24, 1974.

Bugia said Menk is regularly practicing with the Rhummasters in their Quiapo gym. He said Menk’s presence today is critical "not only to the team’s chances of advancing but also to his teammates’ morale."

"Though he’s not yet in perfect shape, his presence will be enough to perk up our team which has suffered these past few conferences," Bugia said.

Winners in this twin playoff will face each other in a best-of-five semifinal series. Defending champion San Miguel Beer and Alaska Milk will figure in a separate semis series after winning over Mobiline and Sta. Lucia Realty, respectively.
With a report from Gerald Lacuarta

[schumi]

Hey!!! Yipeee!!! Ayos yan!!! at least may added firepower tayo sa darating na Asian Games!

Hindi kaya lumiit rin ang katawan ni Menk gaya nung kay Taulava nung bumalik siya?

[golfbravo]

Ok yan a. At sa wakas ay pinayagan na rin sya dahil Pinoy naman talaga sya e.

Dapat siguro ay next conference na lang sya maglaro para fair tutal expected na naman ng Tanduay na di nila makakasama si Menk mamaya sa laban nila sa Purefoods.

Pero malaking tulong talaga sya lalo na sa Asian games atbp. international tournaments...

[Krakista]

What I'd like to see at the Asian Games is who's better?

Eric Menk or Bateer Menk?

[^mhelay^]

Wow! congrats! ke Eric Menk finally makakapaglaro na ulit sya.

[acquiesce]

ayun naman pala eh...
gudlak na lang sa kanya...

[Y2K-G_21]

Yah nga daw pero he cant play for the quarters kasi deadline na nung end of the elimination round. Everyone knew Menk is a filipino. si Asi ewan ko lang.

[mR_cOOL_e]

OK yan...para pede na syang i trade kay DAVID:rotflmao...

pero nice to hear pwede na syang mag laro!

[VINCEsanity]

ay salamat. if he plays, team to beat sila this cup!

[neth_row]

at last! now derek pumaren has no excuses for the rhummaster's dismal season....he's got a decent PG in dindo, an excellent slasher in cariaso, a power forward in locsin, a smooth-shooting forward in hawkins and an exceptional shooter in hontiveros....nakakapagtaka kung bakit malamya ang pinapakita ng tanduay....ngayong anjan na s menk, they better perform....

[bitz]

at last, tanduay is back on the road towards a championship...next conference.

[rasta_mark]

Welcome back Major Pain!!!!!!!!

[ThugLine]

hantay ka muna hanggang next conference! hehehe

[wynne]

tsktsktsk.... i couldnt believe that the pba acted as a "liaison officer" for eric menk..ghee, i mean do we really need eric menk? or tanduay really needs an eric menk?..i mean the league helping this filam on his citizenship papers samantalang yung ibang teams eh di naman nagpapatulong at sila ang nagaasikaso sa mga palyers nila..di ba parang special treatment naman yun masyado?si asi taulava ba tinulungan ng pba sa problema nya? hinde naman di ba....pero bat itong si menk eh halos magpakamatay ang pba sa kanya...hmmm....may naaamoy ako dito huh...ayokong isipin to pero di kaya takot lang ang pba na mapunta si menk sa mba?di kaya? siguro napagiisipan din ng pba na malaki ang mawawala sa kanila kung mapunta nga naman itong player na to sa kalaban...eh di sapaw sila...o hinde kaya under pressure ang liga from "other powerful" teams?...at nakakapagtaka bakit masyadong tahimik si bong tan dito?hmm...

but back to the question if we really need menk..well, you will always say hes vital to the tanduay team or we need him in our national team ...but the bottom line is what for? tanduay itself is strong team and if you will ask me if we need him in our national team ..well, i disagree we got a lot talent already all we need is experience and chemistry and besides can he handle more bigger players in intl competitions like menk bateer yao ming or wang zhizhi? i doubt if he could be really effective.......

i really doubt the commitment and sincerity of these filams..no question about their talents but sa palagay ko habol lang naman nito eh money and fame na di nila achieve sa states..sa tingin ko they are not true filipinos at heart even they say otherwise..sa tingin nyo ba pag nagretiro yan o malaos o magkapamilya eh dito yan sa pilipinas titira..hinde siguro except for some reason...madaling sabihin na "i like the philippines" pero kwidaw kung yun ang totoo....

kaya di mo rin masisi yung ibang players na magturn ng professional or umakyat sa pba eh....tuloy ang siste nagdadalawang isip dahil yun nga wala silang mapapala dahil ang labas nga nila eh role player o worse bangko sa bench...tipid ka exposure tipid ka pa sa sweldo...kawawa dito ang mga local players...bangko sa sariling liga na dapat sila ang naglalaro...

in the long run, ito ang ikasisira ng basketball dito sa atin...aminin man o hinde ng pba eh, ito ang bumubuhay sa kanila......sila rin ang apektado....

[neth_row]

will you fault the pba for helping eric menk? kasalanan ng ibang teams/fil-ams yun, hindi sila humingi ng tulong eh...i bet the pba will give a helping hand kung sinomang fil-am ang humingi ng assistance....and EVERYBODY knows, eric menk is a legitimate fil-am, technicality lang ang naging problema kaya hindi niya kagad nakuha yung DOJ certification niya...kahit ako, takot akong mapunta si eric menk sa mba, dahil masasayang lang ang talents niya dun... at hindi tahimik si bong tan tungkol sa latest development kay menk; in fact, halos makalbo na siya sa paghila ng buhok niya (kasi nga SMC na ang purefoods, at hindi pinayagan na maglaro si menk sa knockout match vs. purefoods...iniisip na naman niya na ni-influence ng SMC ang pba na huwag palaruin si menk vs. purefoods)

kung talagang magaling ang isang local player, sisikat at sisikat din siya kahit sino pang harapin niya...benjie paras lifted shell on his shoulders when the fil-ams first invaded; ildefonso is doing the same with san miguel....nasa tiyaga lang yan....tignan mo si richard yee, kinuha niya sa tiyaga....chaka wag mo iismolin ang role players, every dominant team in sports history has its own share of role players....

yes, we need an eric menk....our team might be talent-laden, but what's special about eric menk is that he gives his all when he plays....may puso yan mamang yan, kaya naman kahit isa ang tanduay sa pinaka-ayaw kong teams, isa si menk sa pinakagusto kong players....may iba dyan na napakalaki ng potential at talent, wala namang puso kung maglaro....kakaunti lang ang players na makakatapat sa puso ni eric menk, at yang mga players na ganyan ang kailangang kailangan natin sa national team...

bottom line is: sila'y mga FIL-am, ke kalahati ng dugo nila'y pinoy, ke lahat ng dugo nila'y pinoy, PINOY pa din sila, tulad ko, tulad mo....kung habol lang nila ay fame and fortune, nasa sa kanila yun...basta ba't ako, bilang isang pinoy, sinuportahan ko sila ng buong buo, alam ko na kahit papano, manalo o matalo, may naiambag ako sa pagtaas ng bandila ng ating bansa...

[cowweb]

yey! eric will be able to play again! tanduay has a chance to win again!

[aLLysH*]

i'm happy that eric menk will be able to play na. everyone knows that he's a legit fil-am... yun ang difference nila ni asi.

i feel that menk's return to the PBA will challenge other players to play even harder, including last year's MVP- danny ildefonso, dahil we know how talented & hardwrking menk is. basta, eric menk deserves to play in the PBA, and to reprsent the philippines in future international tournaments.

[cee]

it's so great that eric menk's finally going to play! although it won't be until next month, i'm sure he'll re-enter with a bang! i'm sure he'll be a great addition to the philippine team! :smile:

if you're an eric menk fan, please join http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/ericmenk ! thanks!

[yehveybey_14_gsmb]

wow! good for him and the whole tanduay team, the team really needs him badly!

[neueziel]

Menk and Balingit ; gandang frontcourt combination