By JONAS TERRADO
Ray Parks Jr’s presence in the popular vacation spot of San Juan, La Union was what triggered TNT team owner Manny V. Pangilinan to vent his ire through social media.
Pangilinan, who rarely posts about the Tropang Giga, his two other PBA teams and Gilas Pilipinas, expressed on his Facebook account Saturday night the sincerity of Parks’ decision to skip the upcoming PBA season.
Parks had announced earlier that he won’t be playing for TNT due to “personal reasons,” adding that it was the decision “(was) what’s best for me and my family.”
An irate Pangilinan posted a photo showing Parks and a person who can’t be verified if he’s a friend or a fan in La Union.
A video also surfaced showing Parks working out with surfer Roger Casugay, who is based in La Union.
Casugay was best known for saving an Indonesian opponent from drowning during the surfing competitions of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
“I don’t see any mother being cared for, and as far as I know, La Union is nowhere near California. Judge for yourself,” said Pangilinan.
TNT was in the midst of contract negotiations with Parks, who is a free agent after signing a one-year deal in Feb. 2020.
Parks spent most of his time in the United States after his campaign in the PBA bubble ended with a calf injury in Game 1 of the Philippine Cup Finals against eventual winner Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
It is unknown when Parks made his return to the country, though Pangilinan suggested that the La Union photo was taken last Feb. 25.
A screenshot of Pangilinan’s post was also shared by the Tropang Giga’s official Twitter account with the caption “#JudgeForYourself.”
While Parks said in his announcement that he hopes to one day “come back to the team and help bring a championship to TNT,” it appears that such a scenario won’t be happening any time soon.
