EITHER they did not understand the order or were simply the defiant kind?
Whatever, Japeth Aguilar and Adrian Wong deserved their punishment: A fine of P20,000 each imposed by Commissioner Willie Marcial of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
That was for their involvement in a pick-up, five-on-five (full court) game, which was a violation of a government guideline to observe physical distancing under a general community quarantine (GCQ) provision.
Aguilar, the 6-foot-9 star of Barangay Ginebra, and Wong, the Rain or Shine rookie, were remorseful when they were summoned by Marcial.
“They were apologetic, but I still warned them that a repeat of it could lead to a bigger fine and even a suspension,” said Marcial, reiterating that the PBA still disallows scrimmages even after the government has allowed football and basketball (professional) to resume their schedules.
Aguilar and Wong were seen on video playing with Thirdy Ravena and Isaac Go in a private basketball court in San Juan City some time ago.
Ironically, the video was posted on social media by supposed friends of Aguilar & Co., unmindful perhaps of consequences involved.
But Ravena and Go escaped sanctions because, if I may hazard a guess, they weren’t PBA property?
Ravena is Tokyo-bound as an import of a team set to play in the professional Japan B.League. Go, although drafted by Columbian Dyip, is now with Gilas Pilipinas.
But should the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) also decide to punish Ravena and Go, that’d be an entirely different matter.
Aguilar and Wong couldn’t be touched anymore, I guess, because for the IATF to do so would amount to a double jeopardy, if not an unfair double whammy, after having been punished already by the PBA.
In fact, apart from their 20 thousand fine, Aguilar and Wong were also meted by Marcial 30 hours of community service each that includes hospital visits, clinics and information campaigns on Covid-19 manuals.
The two will also undergo at least two swab tests beginning on July 7 on top of a 14-day quarantine to ensure that they are virus-free once practice restrictions are finally lifted in the league, whose operations went to a complete stop on March 11 amid the pandemic.
Let the case of Aguilar and Wong be a warning even as I salute Marcial for a job well done. By acting swiftly and decisively, as when he also immediately punished the controversial Kiwi-American Coach Tab Baldwin for his marauding the integrity of the PBA, Marcial has cemented his hold of the league leadership all the more. No pektus there, ‘pre!
THAT’S IT The latest word is Novak Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, have tested negative for Covid-19, nine days after the world No. 1 tennis player returned a positive result after playing in a charity tournament that many said was an ill-advised move. After the tennis event, Djokovic also played basketball to expose him further to un-observe physical distancing. Haay naku!