MANILA: There’s only one way for Japeth Aguilar to play in the Philippine Basketball Association this year, and that is to sign with Burger King.

The 6-foot-9 beanpole, made by the Whoppers as the No. 1 choice in this year’s Draft, appears to have only this option left with the entire board of governors backing up Burger King and its board representative, Lito Alvarez, of banning Aguilar from playing unless he signs with the squad.

“I think he has no choice but to play (for Burger King),” Alvarez said. “It (banning Aguilar in the Philippine Cup) was the consensus among the members of the board to prevent players from bastardizing PBA rules in the future.”

Aguilar turned his cheek at the last minute on the Whoppers, or just a couple of weeks after the Draft, saying that he has opted to play for the developmental Smart-Gilas National team instead.

But Alvarez, who is also the chairman of the board this season, is not about to take the issue sitting down, gaining the support of most of the members of the board in banning Aguilar from playing for Smart-Gilas even if the team is a guest squad in the coming Philippine Cup set to open on Sunday. “What we are offering him is the best of both worlds, actually,” Alvarez said. “He can play for us (in the PBA) and we will allow him to play for Smart Gilas if he so wishes. He can make up to P60 million in his lifetime for making a no-brainer of a choice.”

The Smart-Gilas squad is being prepped for a return stint of the Philippines to the Olympics in London in 2012 and it will use the PBA to be able to get the quality competition that it needs.

But if Aguilar decides to continue to shun Burger King, the PBA is left with no choice but to ban him from playing in the Philippine Cup, leaving the Smart-Gilas squad preparing for the Olympics without its finest local player. Alvarez also said that he has a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to “not offer Aguilar anything unless he settles his issues with the PBA (and Burger King) first.”

“Knowing the generosity of Mr. (Manny) Pangilinan (SBP chairman), this will be all resolved soon,” said Alvarez, who went on to tell everyone during the formal launch of the tournament yesterday to not count out his Whoppers even if they fail to come to terms with Aguilar.

Alvarez actually spoke with a lot of optimism, going as far as saying that he feels that Aguilar will have a change of heart and would eventually play Sunday against Purefoods in the only game scheduled after the traditional opening day festivities.

Game time is 6:30 p.m. at the Big Dome in Cubao, with the odds stacked against the Whoppers since Purefoods is considered as one of the teams to beat.

Talk ‘N Text is the defending Philippine Cup champion, and the Texters debut on Friday against Rain or Shine, which beefed up by acquiring former UAAP MVP Jervy Cruz of Santo Tomas.

Powerhouse San Miguel, the consensus team to beat, starts seeing action on Wednesday against sister squad Barangay Ginebra, the team it beat in seven exciting games for last season’s Fiesta Cup.

Incidentally, everything seems to be in place for the return to active duty of Mark Caguioa, Ginebra’s top local gun who missed all of last season because of tendonitis in both knees.

Philippine Cup runner-up Alaska , meanwhile, battles Barako Bull in the first game on Wednesday, while Coca-Cola, which acquired Dennis Espino from Sta. Lucia in one of the biggest trades in the off-season, battles the Realtors also on Friday.