NCAA: Referees of JRU-St. Benilde game under preventive suspension

JRU’s John Amores trying to confront a referee. –NCAA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The three referees who officiated the Jose Rizal University and College of St. Benilde match last week are under “preventive suspension,” the NCAA said.

Herc Callanta, the NCAA’s head of adhoc investigation committee, said the suspension was “automatic” following the violent conclusion to the men’s basketball game where JRU’s John Amores charged the opponent’s bench and threw punches at several players.

The referees suspended are Anthony Sulit, Dennis Escaros and Antonio Baguion Jr.

“The peripherals, security, referees and officiating, those are still forthcoming. They are under preventive suspension at the moment. That’s automatic, if there’s an unfortunate incident that took place, there’s an automatic suspension,” Callanta said in a media scrum on Wednesday.

“Until they’re cleared, they’re not allowed to officiate.”

As per Callanta’s operations of investigation, the league will continue to look investigate what led to Amores’s rampage.

“I don’t want to preempt the results of the investigation ‘cause we’re still going to go through all the footage from different angles as well as accounts from both sides (JRU and Benilde). As far as the players are concerned, those sanctions are it,” explained Callanta.

All players have served their suspensions, including Amores, who is indefinitely banned from the league and removed from the Heavy Bombers team by JRU.