THE Bacoor Strikers have dropped their threat of a lawsuit against the Basilan Steel for their alleged physical acts in Game One of their MPBL Lakan Season South Division semifinal series, according to the league.
In a memorandum issued by the league, MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes said the Strikers have been asked to drop any threats of a lawsuit against the Steel, which the team has already complied with.
The issue is expected to add spice to the rubber match between Bacoor and Basilan to be played at the STRIKE Gymnasium in Bacoor on Saturday night for a spot in the MPBL South Division finals.
“The MPBL management team through commissioner Kenneth Duremdes has issued a memorandum frowning on a demand letter and requesting a letter of apology from the Bacoor team with a withdrawal of any threats of a lawsuit against Basilan team and its players. The Bacoor team has complied with this request and the league finds the same satisfactory,” said Duremdes.

The MPBL, however, denied Basilan’s request to play in a neutral venue following the developments.
“Considering that Bacoor team has complied with the requested letter of apology and withdrawn any threat of lawsuit, there are no more reasons or legal impediments for transferring to a neutral venue,” said Duremdes.
Duremdes issued a separate memorandum to remind the teams to avoid resorting to court actions.
“Demand letters from a team directed to any team, its management, coaches, players, or staff regarding anything that involves the game of basketball or what happens in the game have no place in this league,” said Duremdes.
“Our constitution and by-laws state that grievances of one team to another or any player against another player must be addressed only to the MPBL management committee,” said Duremdes, who also added fines and sanctions will be slapped against a team that does so in the future.
The Bacoor Strikers on Thursday, through their legal counsel, demanded Basilan head coach Jerson Cabiltes and team manager Jerson Chua to “ceast and desist from perpetrating violence and unnecessary harmful physical acts against the players of the Strikers.
The demand letter came after the Strikers lost to the Steel, 80-69, in Game Two of their Southern Division semifinals at the RMC gym in Davao City.
In the letter, the Strikers cited the incident involving Gab Banal where they claimed that Banal was shoved intentionally by Steel cager Allyn Bulanadi, causing Banal to fall hard on the floor that injured his left knee.
Banal is out for the series due to an MCL injury.
Bacoor also claimed Basilan cager Jay Collado was elbowed forcefully by Michael Canete in the face.
The incidents, the Strikers said, were no different from what occurred in their October 23, 2019 game where Michael Mabulac fell hard after an “illegal contact” by Collado.
In response to the claims, Basilan, on its Facebook page, branded the claim as “false," saying that the Steel have been playing by the rules.
“The recent allegations regarding the team and its players are absolutely twisted and utterly misleading, in which certain quarters are seemingly bent on exploiting and manipulating the situation on their own agenda,” said the Steel.

Basilan also claimed that text messages of threats were sent to its team owner, and Bacoor was posting videos of alleged cheap shots by Basilan on its Facebook account in order to gain sympathy from its fans.
The Steel also said a representative from the Strikers went to their holding area at the RMC gym before Game Two and delivered the demand letter.
Bacoor team owner June Cheryl Revilla issued the team’s letter of apology.
“I apologize to the Basilan Steel-Jumbo Plastic Basketball team, its management, and team owners, and to the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League for not following the prescribed protocol (which I was not aware of) of escalating any issue solely to the MPBL. In this light, this is to formally withdraw the demand letters issued to the Basilan team and its players following the prescribed MPBL process,” said Revilla.
“My motherly instinct was to protect my boys who I consider my sons from any unnecessary harm, immediately following the injury of our Gab Banal. I also apologize especially to Congressman Mujiv Hataman if the letter issued by our lawyers was construed as a threat letter. My intention for such letter was to plead for the Basilan team to play good and clean basketball so as to prevent any more injury of my boys,” said Revilla, who also urged both teams and players to play a fun game in the rubber match.
"We have to be mindful that these athletes play basketball as a means of livelihood for their families, any injury inflicted on the them will mean their inability to provide for their families - food, rent, education, for their children, which is also contrary to the objectives of Sen. Manny Pacquiao and the MPBL," Revilla added.
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