THE PBA has suspended two of its top officials in the aftermath of the Cliff Hodge-Zavier Lucero altercation on Wednesday.
Commissioner Willie Marcial announced on Friday the suspension of Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro and technical committee head Bong Pascual.
READ Cliff Hodge suspended one game, fined P100K for hit on Lucero
The two league officials were banned for one playdate each. They are believed to be the highest league officials ever sanctioned in the 50-year old league.
Pascual is also a longtime international referee who has worked games at both the Olympic Games and the Fiba World Cup.
Marcial said Castro and Pascual were sanctioned for failing to call an outright flagrant foul penalty 2 on Hodge for his dangerous tackle on Lucero near the final two minutes of the PBA Philippine Cup game between Magnolia and Meralco.
'Procedural lapses'
“Dapat F2 kaagad 'yun. Nagkaroon ng procedural lapses sa technical,” he said. “Sa ganyang pangyayari, sinuspend ko si Eric Castro at si Bong Pascual.
“May procedure kasi yung pagre-review. At hindi nila nakita. Kaya dapat dun pa lang wala na si Hodge.”
Castro will be the first to serve the suspension on Friday (May 16), while Pascual will be banned for next Friday’s playdate (May 23).
The suspension comes without pay for both officials.
The Meralco forward was only whistled for a flagrant foul technical 1.
Nonetheless, Hodge was fined P100,000 and suspended for one game, while Magnolia deputy Mon Jose was slapped P20,000 fine and also a one-game suspension for headbutting Hodge.
At the same time, the technical foul called on Meralco big man Raymond Almazan was recalled by the league.
The 35-year-old center was surprised when he was whistled for a technical foul - along with Lucero - while trying to pacify both teams in the heat of the moment following the the hard foul committed by Hodge.
"Tinanggal namin yung technical ni Almazan. Kausap ko siya (Alma.zan) kahapon at sinabi ko nagkamali kami doon. Amin yun," said Marcial.
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