Jail the gamblers

Philippine basketball is facing yet another rough patch after Sen. Jinggoy Estrada revealed the names of 47 players and officials allegedly involved in game-fixing in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

Neither Estrada nor the MPBL explained how the list was assembled, but it was definitely explosive as it could potentially damage the lives and careers of those involved.

Aside from former Philippine Basketball Association players, some collegiate standouts and young stars treat basketball as their only ticket to a better life.

In fact, the partner of a player on the list cried foul on social media, saying that they had nothing to do with the cheating, while another player said that his father — a former PBA star himself — was no longer speaking to him, believing that he was using the sport that he loves to make easy money.

You see, by being on the delinquent list, these young stars not only lost their spots in the biggest, most prestigious regional basketball league in the country, but they also saw their reputations crushed, damaged, and completely destroyed by an issue that has been tearing Philippine basketball apart since time immemorial.

After all, making an allegation as serious as throwing games for a handsome amount is so easy to do — but hard to prove. 

Since the emergence of basketball as the national pastime of Filipinos, countless cheating scandals have surfaced involving almost everyone, from the brightest stars down to the utility people and even the fans.

In 1973, the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association, or MICAA, slapped lifetime bans on stars Adriano “Jun” Papa, Danny Florencio, Rudy Kutch, Rey Alcantara, Billy Abarrientos and Ernie de Leon after Crispa lost the title to a seemingly lightweight Mariwasa squad.

Eventually, the game-fixing allegation turned out to be unfounded, and those involved were vindicated and were able to finish their respective careers on a high note, with De Leon even becoming one of the most respected referees in the PBA.

Even the great Ramon Fernandez was accused of throwing games. 

Then serving as playing coach of Purefoods, Fernandez was benched starting Game 2 of their best-of-five finals series against Añejo Rum 65 after being accused by no less than the company president, Rene Buhain, of playing below par in a heartbreaking 111-105 loss in Game 1.

 Again, the accusation proved to be baseless, and Fernandez put the nightmare behind him and moved to San Miguel Beer, where he wrapped up his stellar career with 19 PBA titles and four Most Valuable Player awards that inspired a lot of young players, including seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo.

 But if these professional stars could bounce back from the stigma of being tagged as a cheater and a gambler, it’s not easy for budding stars who are still trying to build their careers.

 In 2007, a promising point guard from the College of Saint Benilde named Paolo Orbeta was arrested in an entrapment operation on allegations of game-fixing and point-shaving.

 Shortly after the arrest, which was widely covered by the media, Orbeta was dropped from the Blazers roster, ultimately putting his career — and life — in limbo.

 A year later, Orbeta was vindicated after the Metropolitan Trial Court-National Capital Region Branch 72 dropped all the charges against him. Even Saint Benilde cleared him, and he was able to graduate with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

 Still, his dream of becoming a PBA player had been shattered. Despite joining the 2014 PBA Rookie Draft, Orbeta, once a promising playmaker, did not see a single minute in the PBA.

 Truly, being involved in match-fixing can break a basketball career. So unless there is crystal-clear proof that a player is engaged in game-fixing, the authorities should be very careful in pointing fingers, especially at those using basketball to make ends meet.

 If the authorities are really determined to put an end to this nagging issue that is greatly hurting Philippine basketball, they should come up with an airtight investigation that would unmask the personalities behind this illegal activity.

 They should save the players and jail the gamblers.