Games Friday (Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. — Sta. Lucia vs Air21
7:30 p.m. — San Miguel vs Rain or Shine

Game Saturday (Tacloban Convention Center)
5 p.m. — B-Meg Derby Ace vs Talk ’N Text

Will Ato Agustin continue to call the shots for San Miguel Beer? Will import Gabe Freeman play after missing the last two reportedly due to being found positive for drug use?

These are the questions that San Miguel hopes to answer when it battles Rain or Shine this Friday in the PBA Fiesta Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

San Miguel Beer (11-5), owners of a record 18 championships in the pro league, collides with the unpredictable Rain or Shine (7-8) at 7:30 p.m., right after the 5 p.m. encounter between Sta. Lucia Realty (4-11) and Air21 (3-12).

The Beermen will not only be trying to arrest a three-game losing skid but also to boost their faltering bid for the second outright semis berth.

An SMB insider said that Agustin will continue to call the shots while head coach Siot Tanquincen will on the bench, similar to what happened last Wednesday when they played against Coke. Without Freeman, the Beermen lost to the inspired Tigers, 89-86.

“He’s being groomed (as the next coach),” said a person who has knowledge of the development.

But San Miguel management said Agustin was simply doing “on the job training” (OJT) when he took over the head coaching chores from Tanquincen.

The move has been described as unprecedented in the history of the PBA wherein an assistant was allowed to take over as the head coach watched.

SMC said the practice will be repeated in other SMC-owned teams – B-Meg Derby Ace and Barangay Ginebra – in the future as part of a program for assistant coaches.

Agustin, the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1992, was tabbed as team consultant last March – just days after steering Excelroof to the championship in the PBL. He was elevated this week as one of the team’s assistant coaches.

There were reports that Agustin will be named head coach in the next few days, while Tangquincen will rejoin Ginebra as one of coach Jong Uichico's assistants.

Another issue San Miguel is facing is the alleged drug use of Freeman, the 6-foot-6 Best Import last season who helped the Beermen to the championship in this same Fiesta Cup last year. There were reports that he failed the random drug testing prior to the team’s game opposite Sta. Lucia Realty last May 29.

SMB management denied the allegations, maintaining that Freeman missed two games because he’s still recovering from a high fever last week.

On Thursday, Freeman was at the PBA Commissioner’s Office after he was invited by Commissioner Renauld “Sonny” Barrios. The league chief said his discussion with Freeman focused on his health and his concerns on officiating.

“I told him that he has to step up if he wants to defend San Miguel’s title,” Barrios said, who, last Wednesday, refused to discuss the result of Freeman’s drug test although as commissioner he’s one of the first to be informed of the results.

Barrios said he was told that Freeman will practice Thursday afternoon and the high-leaping wingman will play against Rain or Shine.

Under PBA rules, a player is picked to be part of a random drug test. The specimen is then placed in two different vials. The first vial is tested on the spot. If it comes out positive, the second vial will be tested in a crime laboratory and the result will be revealed after 10 to 14 days.

If the second test is positive again, the player or first offender will sit out two games as penalty. After a player sits out two games, he will be tested in every game. A second offense will result in a 45-game suspension.