PBA hits Blackwater with P100,000 fine, probes owner's 'serious allegations'

July 17 ------ THE PBA Commissioner's Office on Thursday hit Blackwater with a P100,000 fine for its premature return to practice and launched a probe into 'serious allegations' made by its team when he announced a plan to put the franchise up for sale. Aside from the penalty, Commissioner Willie Marcial ordered all the Blackwater players and coaches to undergo swab testing and go through a seven-day self quarantine if the tests come out negative and they exhibited no symptoms.

The Elite got in hot water after team owner Dioceldo Sy bared in an online interview that the team has resumed workouts, well ahead of the PBA's return to training that was cleared with the government's Inter-Agency Task Force IATF). Apparently dismayed by the warning of sanctions, Sy announced on Wednesday that he is putting the team up for sale for P150 million.

At the same time, Marcial said his office is investigating statements made by Sy to the media on Wednesday. He said the result of the probe will be forwarded to the Board of Governors for appropriate action. Asked which part of Sy's statements the league is looking into, Marcial declined to reveal specifics other than say that the matter is serioysly enough to merit a probe. "Seryoso ang mga binitawan ni Mr. Sy," he told SPIN.ph.

Source: spin.ph