"Hindi tutuo lahat ang sinasabi niya (Mediarito). Hindi kami ang unprofessional kung hindi siya," said Carballo in a telephone interview with the Bulletin last night. GSM, which will carry the name Gordon's Gin in the PBA 1997 season, also came out with a press statement regarding Mediarito's claims on the real story with Feihl's falling out with his mother team. "For the record, let me say that the statements made by Mr. Mediarito in the article regarding the EJ Feihl issue are all untrue, a pack of blatant lies," read the statement. Carballo said that it was Mediarito who came out with the staggering figure of P15 million for three years of continuous service by the seven-foot slotman to the Gins and, when asked by team officials, stated categorically that his proposal was "final."

It was also insinuated in several reports that Ginebra is offering Feihl a much smaller contract than the offers of other teams interested in acquiring the player. "The initial offer made by (Sonny) Jaworski (playing-coach) before he left for the US was P150,000 but that was initial and not yet final. Hindi naman kami nagbigay sa kanila ng `take- it-or-leave-it' condition," Carballo said. He added that the team is willing to give Feihl P200,000 on his second year and the figure could go as high as P250,000 depending on the development of the gangling slotman. "To tell you the truth, kung sinabi lang ni Mediarito na P200,000, baka ibinigay pa namin kaagad. But let's not come up with figures right now. Our intention is to talk with Feihl and not with his so-called manager," Carballo said.

It was reported that several teams, particularly Formula Shell, is ready to give Feihl P200,000 a month - more than double of what he has been getting from Ginebra. When drafted second overall in 1995, Ginebra paid Feihl P65,000 on the first year and P85,000 on the second. Mediarito called these figures as "too small" for his ward. "Sabi nila, it's not about money but for the future of Feihl. Do you believe he's got no future with Ginebra which took him when no one wanted to touch him with a 10-foot pole. Why do you think he's asking for the moon kung hindi siya sumikat at na-develop sa Ginebra?" Feihl, following his first no-go meeting with Ginebra, called a press conference last Friday to announce his decision to bolt out of the team and to play for Shell this season. Also present that day was Shell team manager Jimmy Aizon and Mediarito. -EDGARD A. HILARIO