Complaint filed against MPBL personalities

MANILA, Philippines — The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League filed before the DOJ game-fixing complaint against 21 persons including SOCCSKSARGEN Marlins team owner and player Kevin Espinosa and some players of the Marlins team.

Included in the complaint were team officials and three Chinese nationals. 

MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, through the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), filed 17 counts of betting, multiple counts of game-fixing and points shaving, as defined under Section 1 and 3 of Presidential Decree No. 483 (Penalizing Betting, Game-Fixing or Point Shaving and Machinations in Sports Contests) as amended by Presidential Decree 1602.

They filed the complaint against Espinosa. SOCCSKSARGEN players who were named respondents in the complaint were Jake Diwa, Exequiel Biteng, Jerome Juanico, Matthew Bernabe, Julio Magbanua Jr., Abraham Santos, John Patrick Rabe, Ryan Regalado and Ricky Morillo.  

The list of respondents include Chinese nationals identified only as Mr. Sung, Kein, Emma and Sonny Uy, Serafin Matias, EJ Avila, Niño Dionisio, Ferdinand Melocoton, Nice Ilagan, Janus Lozada and Joshua Alcober. 

According to the NBI case, the incidents of game-fixing took place between June to October this year in several areas such as Pasay, Pasig, Navotas, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, Batangas City, Bacoor in Cavite, Malolos in Bulacan, Angeles in Pampanga and Bacolod City. 

According to NBI agent-on-case Allein Rey Delfin, they have 11 witnesses but could not disclose their names. 

Without giving a detailed explanation, Delfin said the modus operandi of the alleged game- fixing is that the players are allegedly given instructions to limit their scoring points.