Multiple raps filed against PBA import Cornley

Behind bars and allegedly robbed of his savings, PBA bigman Jamelle Cornley of Columbus, Ohio, says this is his biggest concern. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines—The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Monday filed in court charges of direct assault as well as alarm and scandal against the American basketball player who allegedly punched a policemen who tried to arrest him after the former thrashed the lobby of a hotel last week.

Assistant city prosecutor Rogelio Velasco approved the filing of the case in the metropolitan trial court against Jamelle Cornley, 25, who remains detained at the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit holding cell.

He also set the bail for Cornley’s temporary liberty at P14,000-P12,000 for the direct assault charge and P2,000 for alarm and scandal. The cager’s case is expected to be raffled off on Thursday.

On Holy Wednesday, Cornley was arrested by members of the Kamuning police station after he caused a scene at the lobby of the Sir William’s Hotel on Timog Avenue in Quezon City.

This was after he lost $1,400 in cash to three women whom he had checked in earlier at the hotel. He immediately went down to the lobby where he demanded that hotel officials help him identify the women so that he could get his money back.

When the hotel staff told him that they did not know who his companions were, he threw a fit and destroyed a vase, a desktop computer and the glass doors of an in-house videoke bar.

A police team later arrived at the hotel in response to its staffers’ call for help. Cornley, however, punched one of the policemen identified as PO2 Anselmo Lasatin, sending him to the hospital.

Cornley played as a forward for Pennsylvania State University’s Nittany Lions and had stints as a cager in France, Israel and Argentina before being brought in last year as an import by the Philippine Basketball Association’s Rain or Shine Elasto Paint team.