THE PBA Commissioner's Office is set to punish former Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin for his scathing comments on officiating and the way the league is being run.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said a fine or a suspension, or both, will likely be meted on Baldwin for saying that there is an apparent double standards with the way league referees and officials are treating local players and imports.
Guesting in a Coaches Unfiltered podcast, Baldwin said the one-import format of the league stunts the growth of the game, especially with the "rules latitude that the imports are given here by the referees and by the administration of the PBA."
Such comments, Marcial believes, are "detrimental to the league" and will therefore be dealt with accordingly.
Asked if the current project director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) falls under the jurisdiction of the league, Marcial pointed out that Baldwin is in fact listed as an assistant of head coach Mark Dickel at TnT Katropa.
Marcial added that Baldwin even has an unpaid penalty from a separate infraction while coaching Ateneo in a PBA D-League game.
The league chief categorically denied that imports are treated differently from locals by referees or other officials, saying these foreign players themselves often have the most beef against officiating.
"Mas marami pa ngang reklamo ang mga imports keysa sa mga locals," Marcial said.

And if it's the administration of the PBA that Baldwin has a problem with, Marcial said the Kiwi-American coach should've taken up his concerns with TnT team governor Ricky Vargas, who is the current league chairman.
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