Japeth Aguilar, the 6-foot-10 prized amateur stalwart, is determined to play for only one team, the national team.
 
Aguilar’s agent, sports columnist Ronnie Nathanielsz, said on Saturday that the former Ateneo Blue Eagle wrote – for the second time – a letter to Burger King management informing the PBA ballclub of his decision to join the Smart-Gilas team instead of signing with the Whopper.

The decision, according to Nathanielsz, has the blessings of Aguilar’s father, ex-pro Peter Aguilar, who is based in Chicago, Illinois.

“Japeth wants to play for the national team,” Nathanielz told the Bulletin. “He has made up his mind. That’s his ultimate goal, that’s his dream. Japeth wants to play and help the national team.

“His father, Peter Aguilar, also wants his son to play for the national team, and the national team right now is the Smart-Gilas,” added Nathanielsz.

According to Nathanielsz, Aguilar, 22, should not be blamed for his decision to join the previous PBA Rookie Draft held last August 1, where he was tabbed as the top overall pick by Burger King and hailed by coach Joseller ‘Yeng’ Guiao as the next important big man in the pro league.

Nathanielsz said that the Draft was somehow the ticket of Aguilar to the Powerade-Team Pilipinas, the last all-PBA national team that placed eighth overall in the previous FIBA-Asia Championship in Tianjin, China.
 
“(PBA) Commissioner Sonny Barrios told me that it’s possible that he (Aguilar) may not have been included to the Powerade Team Pilipinas if he had not joined the Draft,” Nathanielsz said.  “Japeth really wanted to play for the national team.”

The PBA commissioner was not available for comment at press time.

Barrios has said the other day that he would consult with the league’s legal counsel Aguilar’s case before coming up with a decision.

With the Powerade-Team Pilipinas mentored by Guiao, Aguilar saw limited minutes as he played behind PBA stalwarts Asi Taulava and Mick Pennisi.

That, according to Nathanielsz, hurt the feelings of the Aguilars, Japeth and Peter, as both were expecting for the young player to play quality minutes.

Nathanielsz also questioned the basis of the ‘lifetime ban’ mentioned the other day by BK official and incoming PBA chairman Lito Alvarez, saying Burger King and even the league can’t impose such sanction on Aguilar if he decides not to sign with the Whopper.

“As far as the PBA rules are concerned, there are remedies that can be taken here,” he said.

“A player can sit out the first year (after negotiations fell with the team). In the second year, if there is no deal, the player can sit out again. Then that player becomes eligible for the Draft on the third year,” Nathanielsz added.

As for the Smart-Gilas, Nathanielsz said that they would rather settle first the issues with Burger King and the PBA before they start talking with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) headed by its president Manny V. Pangilinan, who, interestingly, is a part owner of BK.

“Tapusin muna namin ito. We know we need to go through a process,” he said.

Before applying to the PBA Draft, Aguilar actually turned down the SBP offer to play for Gilas, an all-amateur team preparing for the Asian Games in Guangzhou in China next year, as well as the FIBA-Asia Championship in 2011.

The Gilas team is headed by project director, Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman, who has in his ‘‘wish list’’ the versatile Aguilar. In his letter to Alvarez, he mentioned the chance to travel abroad and play for the RP Team as the main reasons for opting to join Gilas.

The Gilas offer is similar to the one being offered by Burger King to Aguilar, which is the maximum allowable deal for a PBA rookie of P8.7 million spread over three years.