PBA suspends Amores without pay

NorthPort guard John Amores has been suspended for the coming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup without pay following his involvement in a shooting incident in Laguna last month where he and his brother were charged with attempted homicide.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, along with legal counsel Atty. Ogie Narvasa, announced the league’s decision to slap Amores with a one-conference ban and require the erring cager to undergo counseling on Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“In coordination with the management of NorthPort, the Commissioner has decided that John Amores will be suspended for all his games in the next conference of the PBA’s 49th season without pay for conduct detrimental to the league,” Narvasa read during the halftime of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals Game 2 between TNT and Rain or Shine.

“Furthermore, in order for Amores to be allowed to play again in the PBA, he must without delay submit to counseling to address his anger and violent tendencies, and clearance to play must be obtained from his counsellor/s.

Choice of the counseling program of Amores should be with the approval of the PBA, and the program must continue until cleared and terminated by the counsellor/s.”

Amores will be banned from game venues during his suspension but will still be allowed to practice with the Batang Pier and join their activities.

The Games and Amusement Board, which handles the license of professional players, is still conducting its investigation and could add more sanctions on Amores.

The 6-foot-2 Jose Rizal University product and his 20-year-old brother were charged with attempted homicide after the NorthPort player shot Lee Cacalda in Barangay Maytalang Uno in Lumban after engaging in a heated argument during a basketball game.

CCTV footage showed that Amores got off a motorcycle driven by his brother and shot at Cacalda before speeding off toward the direction of Pagsanjan. No casualties were reported.

Amores and his brother voluntarily surrendered the following day and were released on bail.

Amores was involved in a punching incident with University of the Philippines players during a pre-season game two years ago. He was also charged with assault after running amok in a punching spree against College of Saint Benilde players in the National Collegiate Athletic Association on the same year.