DEPUTY Speaker Mikee Romero wants the players, coaches and officials involved in the controversial VisMin Super Cup match between Lapu-Lapu City and Siquijor to suffer the severest possible penalty under the law if proven they are guilty of game-fixing.
Romero, the former amateur basketball “godfather” who represents 1Pacman Partylist in the House of Representative, said the players and officials involved showed utter disrespect to the sport closest to the heart of Filipinos and deserve to be fined and banned from competing in any league at all.
“For showing disgraceful acts, the players, staff, officials and the persons behind these shenanigans must be severely punished,” Romero, who is vigorously batting for the passage of a measure imposing penalties on game fixing, said.
“They have no place in Philippine Sports, basketball in particular,” said Romero who was aghast with what he saw in the game where both teams, especially the Siquijor Mystics, committed dubious plays, especially missed free throws.
In video clips that circulated in social media after that horrific game Wednesday last in Alcantara, Cebu, a player even failed to convert an open layup.
Romero also called on law enforcement agencies to step up their investigation on the matter since what transpired in the VisMin Cup is “tarnishing the image of Philippine sports.”
House members, he said, had already approved on third and final reading the measure on game fixing with a vote of 211-0.
House Bill 8870, authored by Romero, seeks to protect the integrity of any sports because of the proliferation of enterprising individuals who want to make money through manipulation of matches. The bill covers pro and amateur sports.
Under the proposed bill, convicted game fixers will suffer three to six years of imprisonment and fined from P1million to P5 million.
