MANILA – The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) slapped Gensan Warriors forward Michole Solera with a lifetime ban and a P200,000 fine for a disqualifying foul that sent Mindoro Tamaraws’ Jonas Tibayan to the hospital during their game at the Batangas City Coliseum Monday night.
Solera hit Tibayan on the face with his right hand while they were moving for position, sending the 6-foot-3 forward sprawled on the floor with injuries, including a concussion, broken jaw, a busted lip, and a fractured shoulder incurred when he fell.
Upon reviewing the footage of the incident, MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes decided on the stiff sanctions on the former San Beda University Red Lions forward.
“We condemn the incident, and the MPBL won’t tolerate such actions. It compromises the player’s safety and taints the league’s image,” Duremdes said in a statement sent to Panay News on Tuesday.
“I’ve seen the worst (in basketball) and this is one of them. The league has the full authority to impose sanctions on this deplorable behavior,” he added.
Sorela also faces a probable lifetime ban and revocation of license from the (GAB) Games and Amusements Board supervising the MPBL.
The P200,000 fine surpassed the P100,000 penalty Germy Mahinay, then playing for the Negros Muscovados,” got for undercutting a driving Joey Barcuma of Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines, in 2024. Mahinay was also slapped with a lifetime ban by the GAB for the same incident.
Tibayan was stretchered out, brought to a local hospital, and was later transferred to the New Era Hospital in Manila for further examination and evaluation by team owner Pola Mayor Ina Alegre.
The Mindoro Tamaraws won, 76-72, to raise their record to 13-10, just behind the 13-9 slate of their victims in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Meanwhile, Mark Cruz scored on a follow-up with 0.3 seconds left to lift the Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters past the Bacolod Tubo Slashers, 60-58, in the nightcap.
Trailing, 38-44, after three quarters, Batangas bunched 12 points to seize control and then bested the Tubo Slashers to rise to 14-8. Bacolod dropped to a 3-19 win-loss card./PN
