PBA chairman Rene Pardo of Purefoods says he will take up the issue of financial assistance to stricken former two-time MVP Abet Guidaben at the next meeting of the PBA Board of Governors.

Pardo told us he was certain the members of the board would help after we informed the chairman of the condition of Guidaben, the former Crispa Redmanizer and later San Miguel Beer center,  based on reports from former PBA “King of the Boards” Abe King, the chairman of the PBA Legends USA Foundation and secretary general Ruffy Ignacio.

Pardo said he was saddened to hear about the plight of Guidaben.

San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang who was furnished a copy of the Manila Standard story by Robert Non who handles basketball operations aside from his other duties at SMC called us Friday to inform us  that Mr. Ang had immediately donated $5,000 to help the stricken cager and said the money would be transmitted on Monday through the PBA USA Legends Foundation headed by former PBA star Abe King and secretary general Ruffy Ignacio.

This is not the first time that Mr. Ang and San Miguel have responded to former players who faced difficulties. When Rudy Distrito was serving a prison term and needed funds for his lawyers and his necessities while in a Nevada prison, Mr. Ang responded immediately with personal funds to help Distrito.

To add to the troubles of the Guidabens his wife Maridol underwent an operation on her injured left hip which required a screw to be imbedded but according to Abe King she is doing fine.

Ruffy Ignacio also informed us that Guidane’s thymus gland will be “imaged” tomorrow and an operation will be done next week.

Ignacio said he had spoken to Guidaben  whose spirits were “ buoyed by the article about his hospitalization (friends in New Jersey told him earlier).” Ignacio said he advised him to be strong as his multitude of friends and colleagues now know of his condition and are praying for him. Guidaben was also grateful to Chairman Pardo for taking up his case with the PBA board even as he hadn’t yet heard of the generosity of Mr. Ang.

Meantime Abe King flew to California to try and arrange games featuring the PBA Legends in order to raise funds for Guidaben’s treatment.

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