GLOBALPORT guard Terrence Romeo and Barangay Ginebra's Eman Monfort face sanctions after trading punches during the two team’s tune-up match on Friday at the Green Meadows gym in Libis, Quezon City.
PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial said Commissioner Chito Salud is set to review the tape early next week after the long weekend due to Pope Francis’ visit and the ongoing Philippine Cup Finals between Alaska and San Miguel.
[See Romeo accused of punching Monfort as fight stops Ginebra-GlobalPort tune-up game]
Marcial said the Office of the Commissioner had already been informed of the fight between the two young guards, but said possible sanctions rests on a review of the tape to be done by Salud and his technical staff.
“Inabutan lang tayo ng long weekend kaya walang pasok ang opisina, pero by early next week, pagdating ng tape, ire-review na agad iyan ni Com,” Marcial told Spin.ph on Saturday.
“Pero depende pa iyan (sanctions) sa review ni Com.”
Play was halted during the first half with Ginebra leading, 38-31, when the 5-foot-10 Romeo and the smaller Monfort started throwing punches.
Game officials eventually called off the game, citing a new league rule where an exhibition match marred by a fight would be automatically cancelled.
Ginebra team manager Alfrancis Chua said Romeo lost his cool owing to Monfort’s pesky defense.
“Napikon si Terrence kasi dinidi-pensahan. Pine-pressure kasi ni Eman kaya nanuntok,” Chua said.
The outspoken former Ginebra coach added star player Mark Caguioa tried to restrain GlobalPort big man Kelly Nabong, but ended up being elbowed in the face in the process.
“Pero di naman bumawi si Mark, di naman niya gagawin 'yun. Nilusob kasi ni Kelly Nabong, kaya nag-try si Mark umawat,” he added.
[See Remorseful Rain or Shine trio cry 'Ouch' after paying the penalty for tune-up brawl]
Last September just a month before the league opened its 40th season, the Commissioner’s Office handed out fines totalling P140,000 following a fistfight that marred the tune-up match between Rain or Shine and NLEX.
Rain or Shine’s Ryan Arana, Jervy Cruz and NLEX big man Enrico Villanueva were all slapped P40,000 fines each, while rookie Jericho Cruz was assessed a P20,000 penalty for throwing the ball at the 6-foot-5 Villanueva.