JAPETH Aguilar of Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine rookie Adrian Wong were each fined P20,000 and told to undergo a swab test for playing in a five-a-side scrimmage in violation of the government's quarantine rules.
PBA commissiioner Willie Marcial ordered the two PBA players to take a swab test no later than Tuesday. They will also have to undergo a 14-day quarantine before taking a confirmatory test before getting clearance.
Aguilar and Wong were also ordered to do 30 hours of community service.
The two were among a number of top players seen in a video playing in a five-a-side game in an upscale gym in Greenhills, San Juan, violating the ban on team sports while Metro Manila is still under general community quarantine (GCQ).
The government has since given PBA teams the green light to resume training under a controlled environment, but stopped short of allowing scrimmages.
Also seen playing in the game were Japan-bound Thirdy Ravena and Columbian draft pick Isaac Go, who was spared PBA action since he is on loan to the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the 2023 Fiba World Cup.
Go apologized in a talk with Marcial over the weekend.
Marcial said both Aguilar and Wong were apologetic when they appeared before the PBA commissioner, hours before the sanctions were handed down.
Aguilar was fresh from his Finals MVP performance in last year’s Governors’ Cup, while Wong hasn’t played an official game yet for Rain or Shine since being picked fifth overallin last year’s regular draft.
Aside from PBA head of operations Eric Castro and legal counsel Melvin Mendoza, Games and Amusements Board (GAB) commissioner Eduardo Trinidad, pro basketball and other pro-games division chief Dioscoro Bautista, and official Rodil Manaog were also present in the meeting.
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