The economic downturn is affecting everyone, and it has hit local amateur commercial basketball particularly hard. The Philippine Basketball League, the traditional breeding ground for Philippine basketball's rising stars, beginning their new tournament while reeling from the departure of two members (Burger King and Toyota Otis), are down to five teams.

It makes sense. Unlike the PBA, the PBL is truly borne out of love: companies pay teams to play in near-empty arenas and there is next to no one watching on television.

This is Fire Quinito's primer for each team, with a different twist: a profile of each team owner. Who are they, and what do they do? And why the hell are they still in the PBL?

On tap, Bong Tan and the Cobra Energy Drink Warriors, formerly the Bacchus Energy Drink Raiders.

Tall, cut, and athletic, with an icy stare and sharp Chinese features, Bong Tan has a look that's straight out of a Hongkong gangster flick. But perhaps more intimidating than his features and his aura is his full name: Lucio Tan, Jr. The son of the controversial taipan has been, true to his name, an infamous figure in the world of Philippine basketball, even though he has stayed out of the limelight in recent years, focusing instead in his activities in his family's numerous businesses.

Tan first made a splash in the Philippine Basketball League in 1994, as his Stag Pale Pilseners dominated the league winning three straight championships, with Marlou Aquino and Bal David bannering the team. After Aquino was drafted and David was signed by Ginebra, the team continued their dominance as the Tanduay Rhum Masters, backstopped by Eric Menk, Mark Telan, and Chris Cantonjos.

But Tan's eyes were set higher, and Tanduay entered the Philippine Basketball Association in 1999. Led by Menk and no. 1 overall pick Sonny Alvarado, Tanduay surged to a runner-up finish in their maiden conference. Tan also looked to beef up the basketball program of the University of the East, whose majority ownership also belongs to the Tan family. The Warriors were able to recruit the most highly-touted high school prospect of the decade, James Yap, over the more prestigious universities in the UAAP.

It all went downhill from there. Menk, Alvarado, and Rudy Hatfield were mired in citizenship controversies, torpedoing Tanduay's PBA campaign. Tan decided to shake things up by offering Danny Ildefonso, corporate rival San Miguel's star player, an insane contract worth almost Php100 million excluding bonuses, which include vehicle incentives that may be "enough for Ildefonso to open his own car dealership."

Then-PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino voided the offer sheet, and Tanduay's losing ways continued, leading to a game where Tan was called for a technical foul for charging to the court to argue a call. This led to an outburst from Tan against Bernardino, accusing the commissioner of bias for San Miguel.

After a woeful season in 2001, Tanduay decided to abruptly end their stint in the PBA, with Tan trading away Menk to corporate rival Barangay Ginebra before selling their franchise to FedEx/Air 21. Rumors have it that the trade was made to get San Miguel's support so that the sale could be railroaded through the PBA board for approval.

But the controversy did not end there, as Tanduay had been under investigation for salary cap violations throughout the season. Former player Jayvee Gayoso presented evidence that Tanduay had been paying him under the table to circumvent the league's maximum salary limits. The team was fined Php14 million by the PBA for the violation.

(Next up: The Pascual family and the Pharex Generix.)