BANNING the controversial Siquijor squad, suspending players and coaches of ARQ Builders-Lapu Lapu City, and slapping fines on both teams seem not enough.
Six days since it was launched as a professional league, the Pilipinas VisMin Cup is still the talk of the town — for the wrong reasons.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al Panlilio blasted the absurd game pitting the Mystics and Heroes last April 14 at the Alcantara Civic Center in Cebu.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the travesty that took place in Alcantara, Cebu during the fourth game of the 2021 Pilipinas VisMin Super League in a contest between the Siquijor Mystics and ARQ Builders-Lapu Lapu City,” Panlilio said in a statement yesterday.
“The play of both teams according to the merits of the game was obviously sorely lacking as seen by the viewing public via live-streaming.”
Speaking on Radyo5 92.3 News FM’s Power and Play program hosted by former PBA commissioner Noli Eala, Panlilio said the Pilipinas VisMin Cup could face a ban from the country’s national sports association for basketball.
“I think from the federation’s point of view, we can sanction them, maybe by suspending the players and the league,” Panlilio said.
“Definitely, we need to sanction them. I just want to make sure that we make the right application of sanctions. I think part of this is a discussion with GAB.”
In a brazen mockery of the game so dear to Filipinos, players muffed free throws and botched open lay-ups, with ARQ Builders-Lapu Lapu City’s Rendell Senining shooting free throws with his left and right hand on separate occasions, both of which he badly missed.
Mystics players Joshua Alcober, Ryan Buenafe, Jan Penaflor, Gene Bellaza, Michael Calomot, Frederick Rodriguez, Jopet Quiro, Isagani Gooc, Miguel Castellano, Juan Aspiras, Peter Buenafe, Vincent Tangcay, and Michael Sereno have been banished from the league, including their coach Joel Palapal and his staff.
Castellano and Sereno were later cleared from sanctions since they were not present in the match.
Heroes coach Francis Auquico was fined P30,000 and suspended for the remainder of the first round while members of his staff, namely, Jerry Abuyador, Alex Cainglet, Jon Carlo Nuyles, Hamilton Tundag, and Roger Justin Potot, were fined P20,000 each.
Senining was suspended for the rest of the tournament and fined P15,000. Vincent Tangkay, Reed Juntilla, Monbert Arong, Dawn Ochea, and Ferdinand Lusdoc were fined P15,000 each and suspended for the rest of the first round.
Games and Amusements Board chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra yesterday said the GAB has suspended the Mindanao leg of the VisMin Cup.
“The Games and Amusements Board today suspended the Mindanao leg of the VisMin Cup and put the league for re-evaluation,” Mitra said.
