PBA snubs Senate probe?

For a moment there, it looked like the teams in the PBA had snubbed an invitation sent by Sen. Koko Pimentel, co-chair of the Senate committee on Games and Amusements.

His attention caught by  an article in the papers citing  what was described  as the growing physicality and violence in the professional basketball league,  Pimentel  decided to  do something about it.  He immediately sent  an invitation to   PBA commissioner  Chito Salud,  and the  managers and team captains of every ballclub to the Senate last Tuesday, Feb.  5,  to find out if what was written was true and, if it was,  how the Senate could help to preserve the limbs, life and career of the PBA players.

Pimentel had also invited the GAB through chair Doming Guanzon and commissioner Fritz Gaston, a former PBA cager.

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“Where are the players?” a surprised and disappointed Pimentel asked PBA legal counsel Melvin Mendoza, who was the lone representative sent by the PBA office.

The senator had probably expected a bit of glitz and glamour in the day’s proceedings but there was none.

“Did the teams snub the senator’s invitation?” I asked  Mendoza.

He swore they did not, neither did Commissioner Salud who was abroad on vacation.

“We did not know that  the managers and team captains were also invited to the Senate.  The senator’s secretariat said they had attached  an invitation to the ballclubs in another sheet which was faxed to us, but  we never got it,” explained Mendoza.

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Among others,  Mendoza said  Senator Pimentel had two major concerns.  First, he wanted to know  if it was true that the games in the PBA  were rough, violent and career-threatening. Second, he wanted to be clarified on  what agency is supposed to regulate and control  the physicality of the game. The senator always had the impression that it was the GAB.

Mendoza and Commissioner Gaston told the senator that supervision and control were under  the PBA commissioner’s office  which penalizes and fines erring players, including referees who are supposed to  be in full control of the actual  games.

Gaston told Pimentel that the basic duty of the GAB is to issue licenses.

Will there be another hearing?

Mendoza said there might be after the PBA submits a position paper,  explaining in particular  how the roughness in Game 6  of the semifinals between Rain or Shine and San Mig Coffee was resolved.

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Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao,  who is running for  representative in Pampanga, does not foresee any major changes in his coaching schedule during the campaign period.

“I plan to do what I have done in the last four elections,” Yeng said. “I will maintain our morning practice sessions and  do my campaigning in the afternoon, all the way to midnight. I plan to follow this routine everyday, except when there are games in the afternoon or evening.”