PBA to ‘talk’ to Aguilar, et al for ‘playing’ hoops under GCQ
THE Philippine Basketball Association is set to bring in Ginebra star Japeth Aguilar, Rain or Shine rookie Adrian Wong and Columbian Dyip top draft pick Isaac Go for a “talk” for allegedly playing basketball in violation of quarantine measures.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said on Thursday he was ready
to summon the PBA players, who were caught playing basketball in an Instagram post last Wednesday even as Metro Manila is under general community quarantine.
Playing basketball and other contact sports, and holding scrimmages and gatherings are prohibited under community quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Japan-bound player Thirdy Ravena was also caught in the video.
Marcial, however, did not say if the players would face sanctions.
“Titingnankomunasa video, taposkungsino‘yungmgataga
PBA nanandoon,ipapatawagko
(I will find out first who are those PBA players in the video, then I will summon them),” Marcial told The
ManilaTimes in a phone interview. “I will check it, and we’ll talk.” Any players caught in the act of taking part in any sports prohibited under measures set by the Inter- Agency Task for the Management of Emerging Infectious
Diseases (IATF-EID) may be held liable and arrested.
The PBA has a pending request with the IATF-EID to allow them to practice through conditioning without any scrimmages during the quarantine period.
The video, posted last Wednesday, shows the basketball players playing at the Ronac Gym in Greenhills San Juan City.
TheManilaTimestried to contact Aguilar and Ravena, but the two declined to comment. Wong, the fifth overall pick by the Elasto Painters, did not play in the video but was seen with other players in the video after training.
Marvin Espiritu, Aguilar’s agent, said in a separate interview that his player would comply with the summon.
“If ever the PBA summons and gives him a memo, Japeth will comply because that’s the proper venue to explain the facts,” said Espiritu.