WILL contract termination be one of the consequences of John Amores’ recent brush with the law?
It could be, according to PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, pending the result of the league's investigation into the shooting incident that the controversial NorthPort player figured in after a ligang labas game last Sept. 25.
Marcial has put together a team that included PBA legal counsel Ogie Narvasa and NorthPort governor Eric Arejola to review the letter of explanation submitted by Amores, who faces attempted homicide charges along with his brother John Red, who allegedly drove the getaway motorcyle.
The brothers were released from custody after posting bail. The initial hearing of the case is set for Dec. 4.
READ John Amores breaks socmed silence with IG life update
According to Marcial, the group will have to decide on whether Amores should be suspended by the PBA because of the incident, and on whether he be allowed to return and play in the pro league again once the suspension is over.
“Yun ang tinitingnan namin. Kung kailangan ba siyang i-suspend, puwede pa ba siyang maglaro sa PBA or hindi na?" said the commissioner. He also asked if Northport will have to continue paying him his salary because he is still under contract.
The commissioner admitted that Amores's contract remains "live," but he’s not been told whether Northport management has suspended the guard because of the incident that happened in Lumban town in Laguna where the PBA forward had an altercation with another player while playing in an unsanctioned game.
That altercarion led to a shooting in a major highway in Lumban during which Amores allegedly shot at but missed a certain Lee Cacalda.
The incident last Sept. 25 reportedly stemmed from a disagreement during a pickup game where a bet of P4,000 was at stake.
But Marcial said Amores, 24, may have violated certain provisions of the Uniform Player's Contract.
“Madami, pati mga kaso (legal case) nasa UPC yun,” he stressed. “Sa UPC kasi dapat proper decorum ka inside and outside the court.
TIMELINE of John Amores' once-promising, now-troubled career
He said, however, that he is not yet suspending Amores because he wanted him to have due process.
“Yan ang pinag-aaralan natin. Para magkaroon tayo ng due process.”
He also said he does not want to talk about any more details about the case because it is already under court jurisdiction.
“So PBA matters lang tayo,” he said.
Apparently, it’s not only the PBA that is investigating Amores.
The Games and Amusement Board (GAB) is waiting for the result of the PBA investigation before taking its own disciplinary action. This might include cancelling the professional license of Amores.
“The (PBA) investigation could potentially involve his expulsion from the league. Once that’s done, the Games and Amusement Board could, as a result, cancel his registration with us,” said Francisco Rivera, GAB chairman, during his agency's budget hearing at the Senate.
Senator Bong Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sports, asked the GAB why it gave Amores a license knowing that the player figured in a punching incident while playing for Jose Rizal University in a game against College of St. Benilde in 2022.
A case of physical injury was filed against Amores by players Jimboy Pasturan and Taine Davis at the San Juan Prosecutor’s Office.
Rivera said: "The Games and Amusement Board was of the view that we have to give him the opportunity to rehabilitate himself on the strength of his undertaking.
“There was also a statement that he would undergo therapy for anger management and on that basis, he was issued a license.”
“Considering the gravity of the offense that he committed this time, the same argument will probably no longer work for him.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
