Two players may be suspended (June 22, 1978)

Hefty sanctions loomed after Crispa-Toyota figured in heated incidents that marred their second round match in the 1978 PBA All-Filipino Conference.

U-Tex-Fil’bank playoff tonight

2 players may be suspended

Bulletin Today

Published Thursday June 22, 1978

The looming suspension of at least two players, the possible loss of a key cager by Crispa and another harsh reprimand against referees shadow tonight’s playoff between U-Tex and Filmanbank for the fourth and last semifinal slot in the All-Filipino Conference of the Philippine Basketball Association at the Araneta Coliseum.

The tumult and controversy stem from Tuesday night’s Crispa-Toyota encounter that saw one player from each team ejected for rough play and Redmanizers center Alberto Guidaben rushed to the hospital after absorbing what spectators believed was a deliberate punch from Tamaraw Ramon Fernandez.

Sentinels Gregorio Dionisio of Crispa and Fortunato Acuna of Toyota were ejected by the referees late in the torrid match and organizers are meeting today to decide whether to fine or suspend the players or impose both penalties.

Fernandez has also been summoned to shed light on the incident involving him and Guidaben and so were Redmanizers Jaime Javier and Philip Cezar.

Javier was slapped a deliberate foul after sending Fernandez to the floor apparently in retaliation to what the Toyota center had done to Guidaben while Cezar figured in a near fistfight with Acuna late in the game.

Observers noted that laxity on the part of the referees was partly to blame in the near breakdown of discipline among the players and the PBA is expected to summon the officials and ask them to give their side of the incidents.

These same observers said that had the referees imposed a harsher penalty on Fernandez immediately after his collision with Guidaben, things would not have gotten out of hand.

Guidaben is still under observation at the Medical City hospital in Mandaluyong. Doctors suspect he might have a damaged jaw and until yesterday he has been on a liquid diet.

Crispa team manager Danny Floro deplored the rough house tactics of his chief rivals and said that if these continue “I might seriously consider pulling out of the league for a while.”

“I will not allow my players to be subjected to unwarranted violence and let the perpetrators get away with it,” Floro said.

“I know losing is part of the game but it is also very hard to beat a team which is determined to hurt. My players also know how to hurt but they won’t go down to such level just to win a game,” Floro added.