MAGNOLIA big man Ian Sangalang is on the war path.
Sangalang is set to take action against a Singaporean businessman who implicated him in an alleged game-fixing incident in the PBA Philippine Cup finals in 2018.
The Hotshots center denied knowing Koa Wei Quan, the former owner of transportation firm Koa Motor, who is facing 14 graft charges in State Courts in Singapore for allegedly influencing games played in the PBA and the Thailand Basketball League between the months of April and July five years ago.
“Hindi ko kilala iyong tao na iyon. Hindi totoo iyon,” Sangalang was quoted as telling Commissioner Willie Marcial after a meeting yesterday. “Hindi ko ipagpapalit ang career at dangal ko sa ganoong bagay.”
The 6-foot-7 Sangalang maintained he didn’t know nor was he even introduced to Koa.
In a report carried by the Singapore-based The Straits Times, Koa allegedly offered Sangalang a bribe of $5,000 to influence the outcome of Game 5 of the import-less series pitting Magnolia and San Miguel Beer.
The Beermen turned back the Hotshots 108-99 in double overtime to bag the crown.
Marcial said the league will probe the game-fixing issue.
“We will investigate. I-imbestigahan namin iyan, titingnan namin. Kailangan talaga natin diyan mga konkretong ebidensya at mga dokumento,” Marcial said. “Kakausapin natin, magiging mahabang imbestigasyon iyan.”
Only last week, the PBA forged a partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to boost the pro league and the government agency’s war on drugs, raising speculations that game-fixing has reared its ugly head anew in the PBA.
The pro league was tapped as the new partner of the DILG for its Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) program since basketball, and sports in general, promote a healthy lifestyle and help kids and young ones turn away from drugs.
Court documents showed Koa worked with former pro league veteran Leo Avenido and a man identified as Sergei Bien Orillo in reportedly fixing the outcome not only of the Philippine Cup Big Dance but also matches that involved Blackwater and Columbian Dyip (now Terrafirma), and Blackwater against Phoenix.
The operation didn’t only cover the PBA, but the TBL as well as Koa also allegedly tried to influence the result of the game between Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) and Thai General Equipment through an offer made to Filipino guard Almond Vosotros.
Vosotros is a mainstay of TNT in the PBA 3×3 league while Avenido had stints with Coca-Cola, Talk ‘N Text, Air21, Alaska, Barako Bull, and Kia after he was drafted 10th overall in 2002.
The two have not issued any statement as of press time yesterday.
Two other TBL games involving PEA against Mono Vampire and Hi-Tech Assumption Thonburi were likewise mentioned to have been influenced by Koa while he was in Singapore.
It was not specified in the court documents and report, however, if the parties mentioned accepted the bribes.
