After the Meralco Bolts’ statement released on Monday, countering ROS’ coach Yeng Guiao’s remarks against Cliff Hodge, the team hit back by standing against the incident as intentional.
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The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters have rejected the Meralco Bolts’ claim that an on-court incident between their players last Sunday was merely incidental, sending a formal letter to PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial requesting an investigation into possible foul play.
In an official statement, the team declared that they will not tolerate unprofessional conduct and firmly stand behind Adrian Nocum, Deo Cuajao, and their fellow players.
"The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters do not and will not condone any unprofessional conduct in the PBA. We stand by Adrian Nocum, Deo Cuajao, and every player whose safety and well-being are put at risk on the basketball court," the team stated. "Yesterday, we formally submitted a letter to the Office of the PBA Commissioner regarding the incident involving Adrian Nocum during our recent game against Meralco."
The Elasto Painters urged the league to review a play involving Meralco forward Cliff Hodge with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter for a potential intentional foul, requesting a prompt response.
Rain or Shine also highlighted several previous incidents involving Hodge across past games and conferences. Among these was an incident that left Deo Cuajao with an eye laceration, as well as hard fouls delivered to Magnolia Chicken Timplados players Mark Barroca and Zavier Lucero.
"These recurring incidents—along with numerous other hard hits delivered to players across the league—demonstrate a consistent pattern of behavior," the team noted.
While Hodge has faced prior fines and suspensions, Rain or Shine emphasized that these penalties have proven insufficient in deterring dangerous play, stating:
"While previous fines and suspensions have been issued, they have proven insufficient in deterring Mr. Hodge from crossing the line."
Signed by Team Governor Atty. Mamerto Mondragon, the statement concluded that while basketball is inherently physical, the league must address Hodge repeatedly crossing acceptable boundaries to protect player safety and maintain sportsmanship.
