DEPUTY Speaker Mikee Romero said players, coaches and officials involved in the controversial VisMin Super Cup match between Lapu-Lapu City and Siquijor should suffer the severest possible penalty under the law once proven guilty of game-fixing.
Romero, who represents 1Pacman Partylist in the House of Representative, said these players showed utter disrespect to the sport closest to the heart of Filipinos and deserve to be fined and banned from competing in any league.
“For showing disgraceful acts the players, staff, officials and the persons behind these shenanigans must be severely punished,” Romero, who is vigorously batting for the passage of a measure imposing stiffer penalties on game-fixing.
“They have no place in Philippine sports, basketball in particular,” said the owner of the NorthPort team in the PBA.
While Romero admits that it will take time before one could be proven guilty of such horrible act, House members, he said, have already approved on third and final reading the measure on game fixing with a vote of 211-0.
House Bill 8870, which Romero authored, seeks to protect the integrity of any sports because of the proliferation of enterprising individuals who want to make money through manipulation of results of matches. The bill, according to Romero, covers pro and amateur sports.
Convicted game fixers, according to Romero, stand to face three to six years imprisonment and fines from P1 million to P5 million.
Under P.D, 483 which has covered game-fixing and point shaving since it became law i 1974, such criminal acts are punishable by penalties of up to P2,000 and six years in jail.
Romero called on all law enforcement agencies to step up their investigation into the matter since what transpired in the VisMin Cup is “tarnishing the image of Philippine sports.”
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