“It was uncalled for coming from a senior board rep and I don’t think that is the right statement.”
This is Coach Franz Pumaren’s reaction on the recent statements made by Far Eastern University Board Representative Anton Montinola that came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer regarding the decision of the National Basketball Referees Organization (NABRO) to suspend referee Bryan Tabanag, who officiated in the DLSU-FEU game last week, which the Archers won, 73-62.
“It is unfair for us, it is unfair for the La Salle community, it is unfair on the part of the officials also,” Coach Pumaren pointed out before the press after the Green Archers’ lopsided win over the NU Bulldogs last Saturday
The Inquirer reported in its July 18 story that there will be no replay of the FEU-La Salle match despite the sanctions imposed by NABRO on one of its referees. Montinola was quoted in the same article, as saying that “The FEU community has been victimized by this brazen act to manipulate the outcome of the game.”
“Pardon the expression, but definitely we were screwed. I’m glad the commissioner had the [courage] to act accordingly. There is no room in the UAAP for behavior of this sort. We should leave it to the conscience of La Salle. I think their win has an asterisk attached to it,” added Montinola in the said article.
“When you talk about conscience, that is kind of deep, when you look back at ’91,” Coach Pumaren stressed. Pumaren was referring to the controversial UAAP finals between the Archers and the Tamaraws in 1991, which was decided by the then UAAP Board in favor of the Tamaraws, despite an earlier ruling by the Basketball Association of the Philippines and the FIBA awarding the championship to the Green Archers.
“I couldn’t understand what’s the big fuss about the decision… It was clearly stated in one of our meetings. It’s automatic once you hold the jersey, it’s technical foul. Is he complaining about the technical foul on Glen Capacio? It was shown on TV, remorseful si Glen (Capacio) because he knows he really made a mistake shouting at the referee. Is he complaining about non-call on (Benedict) Fernandez when he took the shot? How can you call a foul when you’re the one landing close to a player?” explained the multi-titled tactician.
Coach Pumaren noted that DLSU also had its fair share of bad officiating. “If everybody is gonnna complain about bad calls or non-calls, count me in. I think everybody suffered the same fate already. But at least, give us credit (for the win).”