BY WAYLON GALVEZ
Blackwater owner Dioceldo Sy met with Games and Amusement Board (GAB) chairman Baham Mitra on Monday as he personally apologized to what transpired last week that led to the team’s P100,000 fine from the PBA Commissioner’s Office last week.
“It was a very cordial and friendly meeting with chairman Baham Mitra,” Sy said in a text message.
“I told him what transpired that Saturday and there was miscommunication regarding the practice brought about by TV5 showing old videos of our practice,” added Sy.
Mitra, on the other hand, said that while he accepted the apology, the commission would still review the matter before they issue a report and recommendation on the Blackwater situation.
“We have accepted their apology but the Board needs to study further their reply to our letter if we will sanction or fine them as Commissioner Mar Masanguid is still in Davao. They promised to adhere to all the rules and safety standards as well as the directives of the IATF and GAB,” said Mitra in a statement.
The outspoken team owner appeared on TV5’ the Sports Page show last week, where he mentioned that the team has already been “practicing” at the Aero Center in Quezon City.
That information of Sy led to a fine from PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial amounting to P100,000 since teams are still prohibited from conducting training as the league is awaiting formal guidelines from the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases or IATF.
Sy, however, made clarification that what he meant when he said “practice” was in reference to just a few players doing shooting drills while observing health protocol and not a “team practice”.
“We have also asked them to wait for the IATF resolution and GAB-PSC-DOH Joint Administrative Order before any practice so as not to jeopardize our efforts to resume leagues practice.”
“A stern warning may be issued by GAB to Blackwarer to refrain from any practice in the meantime that the order has not yet come out. This was the same statement that GAB made to the Philippine Football League,” he added.
