Arwind Santos, Encho Serrano, Alex Cabagnot, and retiring player Marc Pingris, according to a top official of the Pampanga Giant Lanterns, will not compete for the squad in the MPBL.

Least of all, not yet.

Santos, Serrano, Cabagnot, and Pingris are listed on the Pampanga squad roster for the current MPBL season, according to team administrator Alan Trinidad. Nevertheless, they will not play unless they somehow become available throughout the year and ultimately choose to sign with the ballclub.

Santos, Serrano, and Cabagnot still have active contracts with their PBA ball clubs, as Trinidad is aware. The PBA Rookie of the Year candidate Serrano is still under contract with Phoenix through May 2023.

Before the current season, Santos and Cabagnot, with NorthPort and Terrafirma, respectively, signed new contracts that will not expire until August 2023.

Nonetheless, there is a rationale behind their inclusion in the roster of Lanterns.

The three active players can later play for Pampanga if they become PBA free agents or are released by their present teams because they are included in the official line-up filed to the MPBL.

As per Trinidad, the MPBL permits such activity, and the league forbids a player from suiting up in the middle of the season if he was not listed on the initial roster presented.

When questioned if players under contract with PBA teams may participate in the MPBL, Trinidad responded that it was acceptable.

Before to their 2023 MPBL season opener against Negros Muscavados on Thursday at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, the Giant Lanterns’ 25-man lineup generated attention.

Santos and Serrano, who are both from Pampanga, used to work with and play for Governor Dennis Pineda before switching to the PBA.

After having been partners at San Miguel, 41-year-old Santos and 40-year-old Cabagnot may get together in Pampanga.

Trinidad, though, emphasized that will not be the case soon.

About Pingris, Trinidad claimed that discussions about a potential stay with Pampanga are still ongoing with the former forward for Magnolia and Gilas Pilipinas. Pingris, 41, stepped down as commissioner of the Philippines Super League only lately after retiring from the PBA in 2019.

However, Trinidad claimed that Justine Baltazar, who was the Finals MVP when the Giant Lanterns’ core team just won the PSL championship, is one prominent player who will undoubtedly suit up this season.

Trinidad claimed that his club would still be very competitive during the MPBL season even without Santos and Company.