After figuring in a scuffle during their PBA Philippine Cup game last week, Alaska sophomore forward Calvin Abueva and Meralco’s Jared Dillinger only got only a slap on the wrist after PBA Commissioner Chito Salud just fined the two players yesterday.
The league chief announced the penalties on Abueva and Dillinger, as well as on Meralco guard Gary David after he separately met with the players involved at the Commissioner’s Office in Pasig City.
The three players, however, escaped suspensions.
The 6-foot-2 Abueva, the Rookie of the Year last season, was penalized a total of P13,000, including P10,000 after Salud upgraded the technical foul for second motion assessed on the Alaska player to ‘flagrant/unsportsmanlike’ conduct for the hard hits.
Although inadvertent, Abueva landed on Dillinger that caused the latter’s nose to bleed and a bruise under his left eye.
Abueva got an additional fine of P3,000 from Salud upon review on the player’s history to exaggerate fouls against him and other forms of physical contact in which he is involved in accordance with this PBA Office’s memo on flopping dated July 26, 2013.
On the other hand, the 6-foot-5 Dillinger was also fined P10,000 after his similar technical foul for taunting was also upgraded to flagrant/unsportsmanlike conduct as his act of physically restraining Abueva by grappling him by the neck along with the taunting and trash-talking.
David, who was not involved in the play between Abueva and Dillinger, was fined P5,000 for his unsportsmanlike conduct for his fighting stance when he went after the fallen Abueva. (Waylon Galvez)