There are no place for PBA teams who would go against the book in the PBA.
This was the message sent by PBA commissioner Chito Salud on Friday as he slapped Rain or Shine with a P2 million fine for the ‘partial walkout’ it staged in Game Six of the Philippine Cup Finals against San Mig, saying the team’s action “subverted public interest as well as the integrity of the game.”
Emerging from a meeting with Rain or Shine officials led by team owners Raymund Yu and Terry Que, along with board representative Mamerto Mondragon, coach Yeng Guiao and team manager Boy Lapid, Salud said “public interest dictates that a walkout can never be condoned, whether in a Finals game or not.”
“A walkout represents a total disregard of the principles and values we want our players and teams to zealously uphold: sportsmanship and the tenet that public and fan interest is paramount,” said Salud in an official statement shortly after his meeting with the Rain or Shine management team.
“Deeply regrettable as it is, the ROS walkout is hereby penalized the sum of P2 million for subverting public interest and the integrity of the game.”
The P2 million fine represented the biggest penalty assessed a team in the league’s 39 years over a “game-related incident,” officials said.
Although the league never made an announcement, a penalty slapped on the defunct Tanduay team at the height of the ‘Fil-sham’ controversy is believed to be higher.
The amount, however, was clearly stipulated in the league’s by-laws based on provisions approved by the board after Talk ‘N Text’s walkout in a playoff game against Ginebra in 2010. The Tropang Texters were hit with a P1M fine for the stunt.
The provision called for a P2M penalty for a ‘partial walkout’ and a P10M fine for a full walkout, officials said.
Salud said Guiao made it clear that the walkout was “not a premeditated move on the part of Rain or Shine,” which halted Game Six at the 10:59 mark of the second period and San Mig Super Coffee ahead, 30-17.
The PBA chief said Guiao will also be slapped a regular fine for the two technical fouls he incurred during the last game of the Finals.
Salud said the fines collected throughout the season will go straight to the PBA Players’ Trust Fund.
Rain or Shine assured that it remained committed to the PBA and has full confidence in Commissioner Chito Salud after being assessed a record P2 millon fine for the team’s ‘partial walkout’ in Game Six of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Mig.
Rain or Shine governor Mamerto Mondragon said the team didn’t oppose the fine – the biggest assessed a team over a ‘game-related incident’ in league history – since the amount of the penalty, as Salud said, was precisely stated in the league’s by-laws.
“Ayos naman ang kuwentuhan namin, saka with respect to the fine, wala naman daw siyang (Salud) magagawa dahil board decision iyan, eh okay lang sa amin,” said Mondragon, who was accompanied to the meeting by owners Terry Que and Raymund Yu, team manager Boy Lapid, and coach Yeng Guiao.
“Wala naman din kaming magagawa since board decision nga iyan,” he added. “Iyun ang rule eh, so babayaran namin yun (P2 million fine).”
However, Mondragon, a lawyer, said Rain or Shine officials took advantage of the meeting to appeal that Salud be more vigilant when it comes to officiating as well as controversial trades among sister teams deemed as lopsided by the fans.
He said the Rain or Shine contingent made a unilateral appeal before the league chief to continually “improve the officiating” and make sure that “trades done among member ballclubs” be fair to ensure parity in the 39-year-old professional basketball cage league.
“Nandito kaming lahat para ma-improve ‘yung perception na mali, particularly the officiating and the trades, at sinabi naman ni commissioner na aayusin daw niya,” he said.
“Patuloy naman ang kumpiyansa namin sa aming commissioner. Saka nangngako naman siya na mas lalo siyang magiging mahigpit,” he added.
