THE Games and Amusements Board (GAB) issued a stern warning to Blackwater for violating rules and safety protocols of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) after returning to training without clearance.
The Elite, however, were spared punishment by GAB chairman Baham Mitra, who said the team, led by owner Dioceldo Sy, vowed to follow government protocols from hereon.
The decision was reached during a board meeting by GAB on Tuesday, a day after the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) between the Department of Health, GAB, and Philippine Sports Commission was signed to set the stage for pro teams to return to training.
The PBA has earlier fined Blackwater P100,000 and ordered its players to undergo swab testing after the Elite held training sessions before the formal restart of practices by the league.
“The GAB issued a stern warning and admonished Blackwater PBA team for practicing in violation of IATF rules and safety protocols… GAB also noted the earlier sanction given on Blackwater in the form of P100,000 fine and mandatory RT-PCR testing of those involved,” said Mitra in a statement.
“So far, the foregoing measures, together with the team’s commitment to abide by the newly-issued JAO between GAB, DOH, and PSC, have been deemed sufficient, without prejudice to any further sanction that the IATF and/or DOH may deem necessary under the circumstances."
