MANILA – After being tagged as the reason for the sudden disappearance of Raymond Almazan from the court, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters head coach Carlos Garcia defended himself.
Speaking after the Painters’ 120-98 victory over NorthPort Batang Pier, Garcia admitted he was shocked that Almazan’s camp was blaming him but said he had scolded the center for his habitual tardiness and absence.
“Nagulat nga ako na ako ang tinuturo. But, at the end of the day, I’m just doing my job,” said Garcia, who also served as Almazan’s mentor when he was still with Letran Knights in the NCAA.
“There was this time na I told them that kasi madalas siya mag-absent at ma-late. You know, we were losing, and we needed him to come in and work. And I didn’t know that’s going to cause this,” he added.
But Garcia stood pat, saying he did not regret scolding Almazan even if it caused the latter to run away from the squad without permission and missed the Painters’ last four matches.
“Everybody comes in early and work, and it’s working right now. If that’s the reason why, it’s my job to discipline the players. Sabi ko nga, wala nga kaming fine. Huwag naman, sobra-sobra naman. So, basically, we are just trying to be professionals,” said Garcia.
The coach further added: “Just be professional. Iyon lagi kong iniisip. If he shows up in practice and he wants to play, he has to work for it.
“Magkahiyaan naman tayo kasi we see players come in really early and work hard, and I don’t give them a chance to play.
“Sabi ko nga sa kanila, they should set a good example, especially the veteran players. Since nangyari iyon, gumanda iyong takbo namin sa ensayo. Hopefully, if ever mapaisip siyang (Almazan) maglaro, I hope he comes in ready to play as a professional.”/PN
