Johnson, Narvasa make peace

PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa accepted the apology of Tropang TNT’s Ivan Johnson as he opened the door for an appeal on the lifetime ban the league has imposed on the import.

The two reconciled after Johnson initiated a meeting with Narvasa at the PBA office in Libis on Tuesday.

“Ivan came here on his own. I understand him, I don’t think it’s intentional, I don’t think it’s personal,” Narvasa said in a press conference after their meeting, according to the league’s official Twitter account.

Narvasa added he will wait for Tropang TNT to formally file an appeal before coming up with a final decision whether to lift the sanctions on Johnson.

“Let’s just wait for their (TNT) appeal. I guess after today we’ll be able to arrive at an acceptable decision,” he added.

Narvasa also defended his swift decision to ban the import which many fans believe was a knee-jerk response that didn’t go through proper due process.

Shortly after an ejected Johnson cursed at Narvasa in the Tropang TNT-Meralco game last Saturday, the league quickly imposed the hefty penalties on the mercurial import while the match was still ongoing.

“We have a process here. Any concern goes through a technical committee. I need to convene with the technical committee before I come out with a decision,” the first-year commissioner said. —