ILONGGO basketball fans will have to wait before seeing Iloilo United Royals make their debut game in the ongoing 2020 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Cup.
This was after the Royals’ supposed to be debut match against Socsargen tonight at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila was postponed with their opponent pulling out of the tournament.
“It is very unfortunate,” Royals owner Julio Jalandoni Javelosa told Panay News. “I was informed by the league last Friday that our Monday’s game was cancelled as (Socsargen) disbanded their team.”
League sources said Socsargen was forced to disband its basketball team with its sponsor religious group Kapa Community Ministry International Inc. currently in imbroglio.
President Rodrigo Duterte recently ordered the closure of the religious group being headed by pastor Joel Apolinario as it was reportedly involved in pyramiding scheme.
Kapa was earlier flagged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for allegedly soliciting investments in the form of donations and at a monthly interest rate of 30 percent.
The Royals of head coach Eric Gonzales will instead have their MPBL debut on Friday evening against the Parañaque Patriots at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan City./PN
