Coca-Cola chairman pulled trigger on Baylon’s departure from PBA board

Powerade team executive JB Baylon’s resignation won’t be effective until February 29, but Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. chairman William Schultz has decided to replace him on the PBA Board of Governors.

According to PBA chairman Mamerto Mondragon, Schultz has advised the league in a letter that Ronald Asuncion will be designated as the franchise’s “acting governor” to replace Baylon.


On Friday, CCBPI communications director Cat Avelino told InterAKTV that Baylon had resigned from his post as communications director of Coca-Cola Export, the Philippine arm of the Coca-Cola Company. It is a different entity from CCBPI, which owns the PBA franchise.

“He wasn’t replaced as governor, but he has resigned from the company, meaning that he’s also no longer board governor of the squad,” said Avelino in a telephone interview.

But Baylon wrote on Twitter that his resignation is not yet effective immediately.

“My resignation from The Coca-Cola Company is effective Feb. 29. Any statement to the effect that it is effective immediately is an un-truth,” he said.

With his departure from the board, Baylon will no longer represent the franchise in the special board meeting to discuss issues surrounding the Powerade franchise. Last week, CCBPI admitted that it was in talks to sell the team to San Miguel Corporation. A trade that would send one of the team’s star players, Marcio Lassiter, to SMC’s flagship franchise Petron in exchange for Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra has been put on hold by the league until after the meeting.

But Mondragon said that Baylon is still welcome to attend the meeting as a resource person.

“Gusto nga namin na andun siya so we can hear something from him,” said Mondragon. “May mga gusto rin kasi itanong ang board sa kanya.”

Before announcement of his replacement, Baylon was vice-chairman of the PBA board.

As the team’s top executive when it comes to basketball operations, Baylon was instrumental in the Tigers’ rebuilding prior to the season, green-lighting decisions to draft Lassiter and top overall pick JVee Casio.

The announcement of his departure was a shock for Powerade, who rallied from a 17-point deficit against Rain or Shine shortly after the news was made public. After the game, Powerade coach Bo Perasol dedicated the win to Baylon.

by Reynaldo Belen, InterAKTV | interaksyon.com