Michole Sorela of the Gensan Warriors is facing legal charges after punching Jonas Tibayan of the Mindoro Tamaraws during their Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) game late Monday at the Batangas City Coliseum.

In a social media post, Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz came up with the assurance that Tibayan is already recovering after getting punched by Sorela in the crucial stretch of their match.

Tibayan was immediately rushed to the hospital after suffering multiple injuries like concussion, broken jaw, busted lip and a fractured shoulder after absorbing the impact of the punch that came out of nowhere.

MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes was quick to react, imposing a lifetime ban on top of P200,000 penalty on the 6-foot-5 Sorela.

But Sorela is not yet off the hook.

“We would like you to know that we will push through our legal action against Sorela,” said Cruz, who was at courtside and immediately rushed to a fallen Tibayan after the scary incident.

“He has to be accountable for his action.”

Cruz, however, stressed that Tibayan is already safe after undergoing a medical procedure on Tuesday.

“According to doctors, he suffered multiple lacerations inside his mouth and his front teeth were broken,” Cruz said, adding that he expects Tibayan to be on the court very soon.

“After hours of surgery, they were able to install arch bars to restore his teeth. Right now, he is safe and recovering in the hospital. We’ll keep on praying for his speedy recovery.”