PBA commish befuddled at suggestion to file charges vs 'physical' players

MANILA, Philippines – The league has enough rules to police physical play, Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Sonny Barrios assured Monday in response to a report that the government would push for the filing of criminal charges against basketball players who commit hard fouls during games. Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez said in two separate radio reports that he would recommend for the PBA to file physical injuries on players who intend to hurt their opponents in a game that is widely accepted as "physical" in nature. Barrios was left dumbfounded by the suggestion. "We have to know in what context the good secretary made those comments because I don't really know where he's coming from. I'm at a loss," the stunned PBA commissioner said in a phone interview with GMANews.TV The PBA is being supervised by the Games and Amusements Board, the government agency tasked to oversee the way professional tournaments are being conducted in the country. Barrios added that the GAB's presence and the PBA's steep tradition coupled with the internationally accepted nature of the game should not alarm Gonzalez. "We have our own rules and we have our own sanctions that penalize untoward behavior. We're on our 34th year and we haven't experienced anything that would require such [intervention]." Barrios said he didn't know why Gonzalez singled out basketball. "In the field of sports, criminally charging erring players inside the playing court is not necessary. I mean, if it was, there are other sports out there like boxing where the objective really is to hurt and maul your opponent. "The action in basketball isn't physical enough to deserve that kind of punishment." – GMANews.TV