FIERY Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao urged the PBA to revisit its rule allowing only coaches and his staff to talk and complain to game officials during the course of a match.
Guiao said it’s about time the league draws the line on who should be responsible on the bench as far as discussing matters with the referees are concerned.
“Ang nasa rules natin only the coach and the first assistant can talk to the referees,” Guiao pointed out. “And kung ano yung rules, dapat pinapasunod sa lahat. It doesn’t matter kung ano yung position mo. Meron tayong rule talaga.”
READ Alfrancis Chua on Yeng Guiao: 'Mas grabe s'ya mang-intimidate'
His proposition came as an offshoot of his verbal tussle with Barangay Ginebra governor and team manager Alfrancis Chua during Game 4 of their Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
Guiao felt Chua, who is also sports director of the San Miguel Corporation, has long been a huge intimidating factor for game officials from the bench especially during contests involving Barangay Ginebra.
And the best-of-seven series against the Elasto Painters wasn’t an exception.
“It has long been in our rule book, but it has long been not applied or implemented in his (Chua) case. “nd for a long time, nangyayari yun ng walang consequence sa parte niya.”
In reply to the Rain or Shine coach’s allegation, Chua said it’s better for Guiao to stick to coaching and leave the Board of Governors alone.
But Guiao said no one should be exempted from such rules.
“It doesn’t matter what your position is, ang importante may rule tayong ganun that only the coach and first assistant can talk to the refs,” he stressed. “And for a long time, nangyayari yun ng walang consequence doon sa parte niya.”
And that’s where the league leadership should come in.
“Kaya ako nag-call out because the league does not apply the rule to him. Sa akin ganun lang ka-simple yun,” said Guiao.
Unlike the team governors and managers, coaches and his first assistant face consequences regarding their decorum on the bench.
“Sa part ko naman, when I coach, I am submitting myself to the authorities of the referees. Puwede nila akong i-technical, puwede nila akong i-fine, puwede nila akong i-eject, puwede nila akong i-suspend. And natikman ko na lahat yun,” the Rain or Shine mentor admitted.
“Tinatanggap ko lahat yun.”
Guiao added, “Pero siya (Chua) kahit technical, wala pa siyang natikman, e. Kahit warning wala siyang natikman, e. Hindi ko alam bakit matagal nang rule na yun na hindi nag-aaply or hindi ina-aaply sa kanya.”
As for Chua’s claim made to SPIN.ph that Guiao is actually more intimidating to the referees than him, the champion coach said that alone is an admission on the Ginebra official’s part that indeed, he’s intimidating the game officials.
“I think that’s an admission on his part the nag-i-intimidate siya ng mga referee,” Guiao pointed out. “Inadmit niya na nag-i-intimidate siya ng referees. Kasi sinabi niya na mas malakas akong mang-intimidate.”
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