MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) found probable cause to charge 17 individuals, including three Chinese nationals, with multiple counts of game fixing arising from irregularities in a series of games in the 2019 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MBPL).
The office of Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said it has found probable cause for game-fixing, betting and points shaving under Section 1(a) of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1602 (illegal gambling) in relation to PD No. 483 (betting and game-fixing) against the 17, led by a Chinese national, a certain Mr. Sung who was charged with 14 counts.
The other respondents were identified as Sonny Uy, 9 counts; Serafin Matias, Jr., 7; Ferdinand Melocoton, 4; Jake Diwa,14; Exequiel Biteng, 13; Jerome Juanico, 14; Matthew Bernabe, 12; Abraham Santos, 10; Ricky Morillo, 1; John Patrick Rabe, 7; Ryan Regalado, 9; Julio Magbanua, Jr., 10; Janus Lozada, 1; Joshua Alcober, 1 count; alias Kein/a.k.a. Kein Zhu, 3; and alias Emma/a.k.a. Emma Meng, 1.
Meanwhile, 17 counts of betting and multiple counts of point shaving were dismissed for insufficiency of evidence.
Likewise tossed out were similar complaints against Soccsksargen Marlins team manager Kevin Espinosa, EJ Avila, Quezon City Capitals team manager Nino Dionisio, and Nice Ilagan, also for insufficient evidence.
The case concerns the 18 straight games that the Marlins lost in the 2019 MPBL Lakan season, prompting the investigation.
The MPBL complaint said the respondents worked to rig the result of games played between July and October in Pasay, Pasig, Navotas, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, Batangas City, Bacoor, Malolos, Angeles City, and Bacolod City.
Originally named as respondents were Espinosa, Melocoton, and players Diwa, Biteng, Juanico, Bernabe, Magbanua, Santos, Rabe, Regalado, Lozada, Morillo, and Alcober.
Four of the respondents – Sonny Uy and Chinese nationals Sung, Kein, and Emma – failed to file counter-affidavits and never appeared in past hearings.
MPBL founder, Senator Manny Pacquiao bared the start of the investigation after suspending the Marlins in November 2019.
"This should serve as a serious reminder to all other teams in the MPBL that we are intolerant to any form of cheating and other unsportsmanlike behavior. We formed MPBL precisely to promote fair play in basketball so I don't want to hear anything that would besmirch the name of the league,” Pacquiao said.
The development came the day after the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup, a professional basketball league involving teams from the Visayas and Mindanao regions, banned the Siquijor Mystics and sanctioned players and coaches of Lapu Lapu Heroes after their April 14 game in Laguna that is under probe for game-fixing. (PNA)
