PBA set to investigate game-fixing issue

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the pro league is set to take a careful look at a report by the Straits Times on Friday, where some players were offered bribes to fix games in the pro league during the 2017-2018 season.

The Straits Times, Singapore's media outlet, in its report, identified the accused as Koa Wei Quan, a former

owner of a transportation firm. And based on the court information, Koa was allegedly involved for the period of April to July 2018 in trying to fix the game results in the PBA and the Thailand Basketball League between April and July 2018.

The Singaporean businessman was charged in Singapore with 14 counts of graft.

“We will investigate. Titingnan muna natin kasi isasampa pa lang ang kaso sa Singapore,” Marcial told The Manila Times on Sunday.

On April 6, 2018, Koa was alleged to have offered Magnolia big man Ian Sangalang US$5,000, while involving two other people- Sergei Bien Orillo and Leonidez Zapata Avenido – to arrange for the Hotshots to lose Game Five against San Miguel Beer by nine or more points in the Philippine Cup Final.

The Beermen scored a 108-99 double overtime victory to capture the Philippine Cup title in five games.

The 6-foot-7 Sangalang scorer 11 points, after making just 4-of-13 from the floor. He also shot 3-of-6 from the free throw line and had eight turnovers.

In the same court documents, Koa was said to have worked with Orillo and Avenido later, allegedly offering a bribe of Php 525,000 Philippine pesos to some players from the Blackwater.

The alleged deal was for Blackwater to either win by four points or less or lose their match against the Columbian Dyip (now Terrafirma ) in the Commissioner's Cup.

There we're no mention though if bribes were accepted.

Marcial said he will discuss the matter with the league's legal counsel first to determine the PBA's specific steps.

But one thing sure, the pro league he said, won't leave any stones unturned as the game fixing concern affects the integrity of the PBA.