Batangas city: The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) has imposed a lifetime ban on Michole Sorela, a player from the GenSan Warriors, following an incident in which he punched Jonas Tibayan during their recent game on Monday night.
According to Philippines News Agency, the league made the announcement on Tuesday, declaring the ban as a consequence of the uncharacteristic behavior displayed by Sorela. “We condemn the incident, and the MPBL won’t tolerate such actions. It compromises the player’s safety and taints the league’s image. I’ve seen the worst, and this is one of them. The league has the full authority to impose sanctions on this deplorable behavior,” stated MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, who issued the penalty after reviewing the incident.
The altercation occurred during the third quarter of the game between the Warriors and Mindoro Tamaraws at the Batangas City Sports Coliseum. Sorela, appearing agitated, struck Tibayan at the 7:33 mark, resulting in serious injuries for Tibayan, who was initially taken to St. Patrick Hospital Medical Center and later transferred to New Era Hospital in Quezon City. Tibayan sustained a concussion, a bloody jaw, a chipped tooth, a broken left lip, and a shoulder fracture.
In addition to the lifetime ban, Sorela received a PHP200,000 fine for his actions. The former San Beda player, who was a third-round pick in the 2015 PBA Draft, faces the potential revocation of his professional athlete license by the Games and Amusements Board, which could prevent him from participating in any professional league in the future.
Despite the incident, the Mindoro Tamaraws managed to secure a victory over GenSan, with a final score of 76-72. Bambam Gamalinda led the Tamaraws with 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal. The win allowed Mindoro to narrow the gap between them and GenSan, moving them closer to a playoff position.
Elsewhere, Sarangani kept their postseason hopes alive by defeating Muntinlupa, 72-68. Kyt Jimenez and Lars Sunga contributed significantly to the Marlins’ victory, while Dom Matillano led the Cagers, who have now experienced 10 consecutive losses.
In the final game of the night, Batangas City narrowly defeated Bacolod with a 60-58 win, thanks to Mark Cruz’s game-winning putback. This victory bolstered Batangas City’s chances for homecourt advantage in the playoffs, while Bacolod’s loss pushed them closer to elimination from postseason contention.
