MANILA – The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) has denied the appeal of Iloilo United Royals for the league to overturn the result of their 90-69 defeat to Pasig-Sta Lucia Realtors on Monday.
In a letter by MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, while the league admit that the Realtors committed a violation, the United Royals’ protest was deemed invalid as it was not done properly.
In a protest earlier this week, United Royals president JJ Javelosa said the Realtors’ victory must be forfeited since it inserted five collegiate players while the league only allows four in a game.
“I understand that a team can field 12 players in a game and 1/3 of that can be college players with SGL (Special Guest License) ID from the Games and Amusement Board, which means four,” Javelosa told MPBL.
“Pasig played five college players that had SGL IDs. If the current FIBA rules adapted by the league (is to) be followed, a win should be credited to Iloilo United Royals for the violation made by team Pasig,” he added.
Javelosa identified Pasig’s collegiate players as Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights’ Fran Yu, Jeo Ambohot, Allen Mina and Ken Calaripio, and Arellano University Chiefs’ Justin Arana.
Duremdes, in response, said that while the Pasig clearly committed a violation, the Iloilo “failed to observe the required appeal process prescribed under FIBA rule C1 and C2 on Protest Procedure.”
“During your game against Iloilo, (Pasig) fielded five SGL players, which is a violation of GAB Resolution No. 2021-02, but Iloilo’s appeal was deemed invalid for failure to observe the required process,” Duremdes said.
Duremdes, however, said his verdict does not preclude the GAB from initiating further actions as a result of the specific violation by the Realtors squad.
The United Royals currently has 2-1 win-loss slate in Group A with still two games on their schedule against the Bacoor Strikers on late Friday night and Caloocan Excellence on Sunday./PN
