IT TOOK some amount of fasting, abstinence and deep meditation this holy week before I realized fully that Jamelle Cornley and the import a popular online writer/TV host had told me about were one and the same.
Weeks ago this writer called me to ask if I wanted to write about model/actress Juliana Palermo who had just broken up with her PBA import boyfriend.
The couple were actually engaged to be married, the writer informed me, but Juliana decided to call off the wedding after she found out something unspeakable about her fiancé, who obviously had a predilection for women like the three Cornley had picked up somewhere in Timog Avenue recently.
The writer-TV host mentioned the name of the import, but I wasn’t paying much attention because I had no plans to write about matters that I found a bit too offensive.
I suggested he write about it himself, but he said men don’t write about those stuff.
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I had completely forgotten about that call until the Cornley scandal broke out some days ago. After the contemplative period, I called the online writer to ask if Cornley was the import who had been linked to Juliana.
He said yes. Cornley, he said, had liked it so much here in the Philippines, he stayed behind long after the season was over last year. Cornley had led his team, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, to their first-ever PBA championship and even won the Best Import of the Conference award.
“Cornley has made the Philippines his second home. He has even brought his mother here last year to visit,” the writer said.
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According to the online scribe, Cornley was scheduled to leave for the United States today then return before the third conference in August.
A PBA insider said that Cornley and his mother had negotiated for the American’s return in the third and last conference.
“I’m not sure if his ball club is subsidizing his stay here, but that’s very possible because he’s still undergoing rehab for a knee injury,” said the insider, who said it is highly unlikely that he would be able to leave the country today as per original schedule.
“I think he’s still in jail. I don’t think bail can be posted because of the long holiday. If ever, bukas pa siya makakalabas,” said the PBA official.
Cornley was arrested and detained at Camp Caringal in Quezon City after he went into a violent rage upon finding out that the three women he had checked in with at the Sir Williams Hotel had stolen his wallet with $1,400 in it. He also punched one of the arresting officers.
Whether he would still be able to play for the Elasto Painters in August remains to be seen.
I was trying to get in touch with RoS coach Yeng Guiao and team owner Raymond Yu but didn’t have any luck.
“If the allegations and charges in this incident are proven to be true, I see Mr. Cornley as having zero chance of playing again, at least not under my watch,” PBA commissioner Chito Salud had said.