P20K fines for Alaska import, four others involved in tune-up games melee

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The PBA Commissioner’s Office on Friday doled out P115,000 worth of fines for players involved in separate scuffles in tune-up matches this week.

League commissioner Chito Salud met with Gary David, Bill Walker, Danny Ildefonso, June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Jondan Salvador, and Mark Yee separately the past two days before handing out the punishment.

Walker, the Aces’ new import, Ildefonso, David, Santos and Salvador were all slapped with a hefty P20,000 each in penalty while Yee and Gabby Espinas were fined P10,000 and P5,000 respectively.

The fines were “for court misconduct and misdemeanor during their respective tuneup games,” the league said in a statement.

According to reports, Walker and veteran forward Ildefonso figured in a heated exchange in the fourth quarter of the Meralco-Alaska tune-up last Tuesday, before David joined in and threw a punch at Walker.

Hours later, a nasty brawl also broke out during the San Miguel-Globalport exhibition match sparked by Salvador allegedly punching June Mar Fajardo, with Santos coming to his teammate’s rescue.

The games were in preparation for the upcoming Governors’ Cup, which opens on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.