Statement from Commissioner Chito Salud:
There is plainly no room for hotheads and hooligans in basketball, let alone other sports. Mauling a game official can never be justified in any way.
Coach Alvin Pua of the Cagayan Rising Suns in their game against the Livermarin Guardians in the PBA D-League struck referee Benjie Montero from behind and proceeded to punch the game official in the face after resenting a call made by the said referee.
This is not the first time that Coach Pua has had brushes and altercations with the referees. On previous occasions the league has sanctioned Coach Pua for physically contacting the referees during official and tune-up games with hefty fines and game suspensions.
This is the last straw. In the highest interest of sportsmanship and the norms of human decency, the league is hereby imposing a lifetime ban on Coach Pua from all PBA related activities for mauling a referee and for his recalcitrant and incorrigible demeanor.
We view this latest act of Coach Pua to be despicable and offensive to the sensibilities of all sports stakeholders and aficionados. It lays waste to the concept of sportsmanship and is a complete breakdown in a coach’s responsibility to do what is right for the sport and the fans.
He is also fined the amount of five hundred thousand pesos (P 500,000.00) for this dastardly act.
This decision by the Office of the Commissioner will be forwarded to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas with the recommendation that the ban be enforced in all SBP-sanctioned tournaments and/or activities.
The PBA is ready to assist referee Montero in any civil or criminal action that he may opt to take against Coach Pua for the physical injuries he sustained from the incident.
As to the public pronouncements made by Cagayan Valley Rising Suns Team Manager Frederick Collado criticizing the quality of officiating in order to justify Coach Pua’s transgression, said assertions made in public are punishable under league rules prohibiting any official or player of a member-ballclub from issuing statements deemed inimical and/or prejudicial to the interests of the league.
He is hereby fined the amount of twenty thousand pesos (P 20,000.00) to be remitted within fifteen (15) days from receipt of this decision.
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