MANILA -- Sports patron and businessman Fred Uytengsu called for more transparency in the way some PBA teams have been recruiting their players in relation to the league’s salary caps.

In an interview on ESPN 5, the Alaska team owner questioned the “underhand tactics” being employed by other ball clubs to maintain a host of talents despite salary limits set by the league.

“You also look at how some teams have been developed to be 'superpowers' that makes it difficult to understand. How does that team fit all these players under the salary cap?” he said.

"If you're proactive and look into it, that's either you're really creative or you're good at negotiating these contracts."

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Uytengsu said he had a couple of players in the past whom they offered maximum pay as allowed by PBA rules. But this did not stop the players from joining another team.

“We're all making max (offers). And it's that wink, that nod, and we understood what that meant,” he said.

He said he understands the players since they could only play for so long. But Uytengsu asserted that this is not healthy for the league.

“If you want to pay a player P1 million a month and that's what it is, then state the obvious and do the obvious. But don't say it's P450 million (a month) then someone's making P1 million to P2 million under the table.”

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)