Referee booted out from PBA 'bubble' after controversial call

CLARK – PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial has issued the harshest sanction so far in the bubble, deciding to send home referee Sherwin Pineda following his controversial “wrong call” in the dying moments of Rain or Shine-Northport match over the weekend.

It was the said official who whistled foul on Batang Pier’s Paolo Taha with the game hanging in the balance in the last 1.3 seconds, leading to Nambatac's two free throws for the Elasto Painters’ 70-68 win.

“Papauuwin ko na. Maling tawag. Di ko matatanggap ‘yung tawag na ‘yun,” said Marcial after a thorough review of the last play with the league technical committee and deputy commissioner Eric Castro.

Pineda has been relieved of his duties for the rest of the two-month tournament while the league is ironing out details on his departure from the bubble here.

Marcial added that he has also suspended and fined two more referees after the opening week of the 2020 Philippine Cup restart that kicked off last October 11.