THE PBA has disallowed Phoenix Super LPG from including the suspended Calvin Abueva in its lineup for the bubble season which is set to get going on October 11 in Pampanga.
The Fuel Masters initially included Abueva in its 25-man lineup for the Philippine Cup restart, but apparently have been barred from doing so since the controversial forward's indefinite suspension has yet to be lifted.
"Because of Calvin's current status, we can only submit a 24-man lineup at the moment," Phoenix team manager Paolo Bugia told Spin.ph on Thursday.
However, the PBA ballclub is still not giving up as it appeals the case of 'The Beast,' who was suspended indefinitely in June 2019 for his clothesline hit on TNT import Terrence Jones and lewd gestures towards a player's girlfriend.
The suspension has now ran for 15 months and counting.
"Appealing for reinstatement is still an ongoing dialogue," said Bugia. "So 24-man muna kami. We are still awaiting final word from the PBA and still hopeful a decision will come before the opening."
Time, though, is not on the Fuel Masters' side as the deadline for the submission of the teams' final lineup is on Friday.
Bugia said: "We hope they can come up with a favorable decision before opening. That's all the progress I can say now."
Early Thursday, Bugia confirmed that Phoenix management has included Abueva in its 25-man lineup in the hope that he would be reinstated by the Commissioner's Office before the restart.
Bugia said they felt the move was a "gamble worth taking."
However, sources told Spin.ph that Abueva still has a few more 'mandatory procedures' that he needs to complete before the matter on the lifting of his suspension is passed on to the board for a decision.
Abueva, a source bared, has already completed a number of tests to comply with the Commissioner's Office directive, but travel restrictions during the pandemic have slowed down the process.
The remaining procedures need 'face-to-face interactions' which are not easy to set up these days, the source added.
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