RENDELL Senining apologized for his actions in Lapu Lapu's controversial game against Siquijor in the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup match on Wednesday that led to fines, suspensions, and a lifetime ban on players and coaches.
Senining came under fire on social media after he was seen shooting free throws with his left and right hand alternately in the second quarter of the game marred by deliberate misses from the line and on layups by both sides.
The entire Siquijor team was banned for life by the league while some players and coaches from the Lapu-Lapu side were also sanctioned, including Senining who was suspended for the rest of the tournament and fined P15,000.
The 5-10 guard accepted the sanctions but begged for understanding, explaining that he shot those controversial free throws out of frustration over the way the game was being played by their opponents.
“I admit that I was wrong,” Senining said in an interview with SPIN.ph on Thursday. “I could have handled it in another way and in a professional way. And I apologized to everyone.”
“But to disrespect the game, that was not my intention. I played the game since bata pa ako the right way. Even in practice, even in a shootaround, even by myself, even in doing drills, I always make sure that I do everything right. That was out of my emotions kaya nag-shoot ako ng free throw [na ganoon].”
Senining admitted he got frustrated after he was fouled hard by a Siquijor player late in the second quarter of an already contentious game.
“Prior to that, dalawang unsportsmanlike na sila. The second unsportsmanlike is ‘yung nag-foul sa akin ‘yung point guard na malaking katawan. He tried to clothesline his hand towards sa Adam’s apple ko. Talagang umaray ako. Hindi ako makalunok ng laway. It took awhile to recover myself. Iba na ‘yun ah. Dun ako na-trigger,” said Senining.
“Parang, ‘Ganito pala ang gusto niyo. You serve it to us, I’ll serve it back to you.’ Kaya ginawa ko ‘yung left-handed out of frustration kasi binastos nila ‘yung game,” he added.
The Cebu City native admitted he originally intended to take both free throws left-handed only to be talked out of it by his coaches and teammates after the first try.
“As you can see napansin mo sa video, nag-shoot ako ng video, tumingin ako sa likod because I was frustrated. I just want to look back out of my frustration. Ginawa ko ‘yun, binaboy nila ako, babuyin ko rin sila.”
“After that, may tumawag sa akin sa likod ko. I was about to shoot another left pero may tumawag sa akin sa likod. Mga coaches, teammates ko, ‘Hey, Rendell. Play the game right. Wag mo gawin ‘yan.’ Kaya nagising ko. When they called me, parang nabalik ako.
"Tinira ko na ‘yung right. Hindi ko na alam gagawin ko. I got blocked out honestly. Nagawa ko na ‘yun. I was in a situation na I didn’t know how to handle it. I really apologized for that,” said Senining.
Senining said he was aware that a lot of basketball players wanted to be in their situation that they are able to play during the pandemic, which made him regret his actions all the more.
“Ang daming gustong makapaglaro sa VisMin na ‘to but everyone wants to play basketball. I’m really sorry kung nagawa ko ‘yun,” said Senining.
However, Senining assured that whatever Lapu Lapu players did, including his free throw attempts, weren't related to game-fixing.
Senining said team management led by owner Jason Arquisola has been very kind and generous to the squad, which was motivated to win a championship in return.
“Kami na team especially sa ginawa ko, it’s not linked to game-fixing. Knowing our owner of the team, si Boss Jason Arquisola, kahit anong hingi namin sa kanya dito sa team, binigay naman sa amin. Bumabalik balik pa siya dito para ibigay kung ano ang kulang sa amin. Maganda ang pinag-stayan namin.
"Everything is good. We are not complaining. Our boss is a genuine boss. He is a wholesome boss. Hindi mangyayari na magbenta kami. There are no game-fixing from our part of the team, from the coaches to the ballboy, walang nangyari,” said the 24-year old.
Senining said that throughout his basketball career, he never encountered any incidents related to game-fixing, which is why he struggled to cope with the situation during the Lapu Lapu-Siquijor contest.
“Alam mo ‘yung nakatapat ka sa something na hindi mo alam and you don’t know what to do. Ako, I’m the youngest in the team and I don’t even know kung paano gawin ‘yung game-fixing. I’ve never been in that environment. I don’t know how I will act it out,” Senining said.
Senining, however, said he sensed something strange in the Siquijor team.
“I’m not that stupid na kung ano ‘yung tingin ko sa player if they are playing the right way or not, ma-sense ko na talaga ‘yan.
"The other team was disrespecting the game and for me coming from Ateneo de Cebu with coach Rommel, NU with coach Eric Altamirano, FEU with coach Olsen [Racela], nag-Marinero pa ako kay coach Yong Garcia and Joel Banal, all of them told me to play the game right. I don’t get to me na bababuyin ko ‘yung laro,” said Senining.
Senining said all of his teammates were coming off a grueling practice as they wanted to get a win over Siquijor in preparation for a marquee match-up against Talisay.
“We needed confidence for that game to prepare against Talisay. Kung ikaw nagpe-prepare ka ng something tapos ‘yun lang ang gagawin nila, naka-invest ka na not only physically but also mentally."
Senining, however, said Lapu-Lapu began to notice the lackadaisical effort of Siquijor in the game after scoring in spurts. It was there, Senining said that Lapu-Lapu also began to play with less effort.
“Sa first quarter pa lang, we wanted to have a great start. It’s just that when we were having a long stretch na nagra-run na kami, napansin namin na why are they playing like that. Ako mismo. There’s something fishy about it.”
“Sa amin naman, gusto namin itigil ang laro. Kung ano ‘yung sinerve nila sa amin, i-seserve din namin sa kanila because we don’t want to waste our time and effort and energy. We need our energy for the next game.
"Kung ano gagawin nila, magfa-foul, mage-execute kami ng play para sa next game, paano kami makaka-execute. Basically, ginagawa din namin ‘yung gawa nila because we want to stop the game.
"Pangit naman siguro if kami ang magwa-walk out sa game. Baka kami pa ang masama. We tried to serve them what they served. We wanted to stop the game first quarter pa lang,” said Senining.
Senining said officials spoke to both coaches to warn them of the lackluster play but Siquijor continued with their poor effort.
“Pumasok sa gitna ‘yung mga officials. Ayusin natin ang laro. Pero ganun pa rin ang ginawa nila. Emotions were high especially sa coaches kasi coming to this league, mga rookie coaches ito eh. They wouldn’t know how to handle that situation especially me being the youngest in the team.”
Nevertheless, Senining said he accepts the sanctions given to him by the Pilipinas VisMin Cup, while hoping that he could play again someday in the league.
“I respect kung ano ‘yung sanctions sa kanila. I know that they had specific reasons for that. I just want them to reconsider their decision. I want to play right. I promise to them na ‘yung ganitong sitwasyon, it would never happen.
"I know how to handle it as a professional. I don’t question ‘yung ginawa nila. I apologize for what I did. Naging masama ang liga dahil sa akin. But I hope that they will be considerate and they will accept my apology."
“I want to play in this league. It’s where I’m from, Visayas. It’s where my family is from. I want this league to pursue. Kung ano man ang desisyon nila, I hope na ma-reconsider nila,” said Senining.
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