PBA hands-off on CEU game-fixing allegations

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Basketball Association is leaving it to PBA D-League team Centro Escolar University to decide on the fate of its players involved in alleged game-fixing.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the league need not do any action considering the reported wrongdoings were not committed in the D-League.

The Scorpions had sacked seven erring mainstays for their supposed game-rigging in the team’s UCBL summer league, leaving them with only seven players when they played their do-or-die quarterfinal in the D-League last Thursday against Go for Gold-CSB.

“First, hindi naman nagreklamo iyung team sa akin, sinabihan lang ako na mag-seven players sila. Second, hindi naman nangyari sa D-League, sa summer league nila. So nakikipag-update lang muna ako sa team (First off, I didn’t receive any complaint from the team, just an advisory they will be fielding seven players in their next game. Secondly, it wasn’t committed in the D-League but in their summer league. So at this point, I’m just getting updates from the team regarding this development),” Marcial said.

Despite a severely shorthanded crew, CEU beat the Scratchers, 84-74, to progress to the semis versus St. Clare College Virtual Reality. Big man Malick Diouf turned in a 25-point, 29-rebound outing for the Scorpions in that emotional clincher.

CEU coach Derrick Pumaren said the school, after a thorough investigation, discarded the alleged offenders, identified as Judel Fuentes, Tyron Chan, Jan Formento, Christian Uri, Keanu Caballero, John Rojas and John Lisbo.