So COCA-COLA isn't really that friendly? I got this letter by some former POWERADE TIGERS whose contract are reportedly no longer honored by COKE PHILS MANAGEMENT. Read below.

From: Snow Badua


September 7, 2012
Mr. Angelico T. Salud
Commissioner
Philippine Basketball Association
Dear Comm. Salud:
We, a group of Coca-Cola/Powerade Tigers players and staff, would like to inform you of our situation with Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. As you well know, the Coca-Cola franchise has recently been sold to Mr. Mikee Romero’s group, Sultan 900. This is after our Team Governor, Mr. Ronnie Asuncion repeatedly told us during team meetings, when rumours of the franchise being sold to the San Miguel Corporation were ripe, that the company has not and will not sell the team until we win another championship. Our problem is that Sultan 900 absorbed all of the active players but left out almost everyone else including the management, staff, reserves (Coca-Cola Ambassadors) and utilities. All of us who were left out still have 1 year left on our contracts with the Coca-Cola Company. 
These contracts, we were told by Mr. Asuncion, would also be taken in by Sultan 900 but most of us found out just a day before Global Port’s first practice started that we wouldn’t be absorbed. In fact one of us, Mr. George Ella, was already going to practice for 2 weeks and then he was informed he would not be part of the new team anymore. Before all this happened, we were told again repeatedly by Mr. Asuncion in a team dinner where he announced the sale, not to worry about our contracts because we would be taken cared of, either by being absorbed or by mutual agreement to a buy-out of our contracts.
After a month of being informed that the franchise had been sold, we were all called to the Coca-Cola Head Office to meet with Mr. Asuncion on a one-on-one basis. So last Thursday and Friday, August 30 & 31, most of us met with Mr. Asuncion and lo-and-behold, were surprised that our contracts would not be honoured. He gave us all different reasons but he basically said that when the franchise was sold, our contracts became null and void. What he did was offer all of us some sort of “financial assistance” equivalent to one month’s pay for every year of service. This financial assistance would amount to anywhere from 1 to 6 months pay for all of us. The utilities (ball boys) were offered an equivalent of 7 to 11 months pay and all of them accepted as they could not afford to wait for a lengthy settlement.
All of us other players and staff have refused this financial assistance being offered to us because it is way below what is left on our contracts and what we feel is rightfully ours. Since all of us refused to sign that day, Mr. Asuncion said one of the following to us: “This is a 1-hour/1-day/1-week offer only and if we would not sign within his arbitrary time frames, he would see us in court.” We feel this is very unjust considering all the years of loyal service we have given the company and the brand name.
We, the players and staff, feel aggrieved by the situation at hand as what Coca-Cola is offering totals to an amount which is only 25% of what they rightfully owe us. We also feel that the situation since the rumoured sales of the franchise had been swirling has been grossly mismanaged. We were kept in the dark until the last minute and we were not able to plan our lives and livelihood accordingly. So a lot of us are left jobless with the impending doom of a long court case in front of us.
We, the undersigned, would like to appeal to your good office for some help regarding our situation. We would appreciate if you could help us in getting our story heard especially by the sports media. Getting our story heard and out in public might help re-open the negotiating table with Coca-Cola, as Mr. Asuncion gave us a take it or leave it deal when he last talked to us. We would also like to add a request that the equity of the franchise be withheld until the issue at hand is settled.
Sincerely,


Rodney Santos

Cesar Catli


Ronjay Enrile



Dale Singson



Kenneth Duremdes (Team Manager)



Gerard Francisco (Asst. Team Manager)



George Ella (Asst. Coach)



Julio Veloso (Strength & Conditioning Coach)



Dr. Pablo Santos (Team Physician)



Cris Nieto (Team Coordinator)



Lester Pascua (Team Asst.)



Rheysson Cornilla (Physical Therapist)



Benigno Espeleta (Physical Therapist)