Sen. Christopher Lawrence 鈥淏ong鈥� Go (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� PBA player John Amores鈥� attempted murder case was brought up during the Senate deliberation on the Games and Amusement Board鈥檚 (GAB) proposed budget for 2025, prompting Sen. Christopher Lawrence 鈥淏ong鈥� Go to direct the agency to check on the 鈥渁nger management issues鈥� of PBA players.
During the subcommittee on finance鈥檚 Monday hearing, Go said there is a need to investigate Amores鈥� case so it does not happen again.
鈥淪tudy this carefully so it does not happen again. As for me, it needs to be investigated, but at your level, it is your mandate to check before you issue permits. Please look at this anger management issue because there are previous incidents. There were instances in the past, which means there鈥檚 a tendency,鈥� he said in Filipino.
Go said before Amores fired a gun at another man after a basketball game in Laguna in September, the PBA player already had a history of 鈥渉urting鈥� NCAA players in 2022.
鈥淜indly strengthen your rules or your policy. Prevention is essential here. We can prevent this, and we鈥檒l not blame each other. Prevention is important鈥ork closely with the PBA, not only with the PBA,鈥� he added in Filipino.
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Prior to Go鈥檚 prodding, GAB Chairperson Francisco Rivera said they had coordinated with PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial about the incident, maintaining that it should be the PBA that should first investigate the matter, especially Amores鈥� possible expulsion from the league.
Rivera also admitted that before Amores was drafted by the PBA, the player obtained a professional basketball license from the GAB, and his records, including his tendency towards violence, were evaluated.
He said Amores passed the evaluation, but he later admitted that the agency believes that the player has anger management issues.
鈥淥n the basis of his past conduct, it appeared to the GAB that it was still manageable and again, in the interest of giving him the opportunity to play for the professional leagues and on the strength of his undertaking, we gave him a license. At present, considering the gravity of the offense that he committed at this time, the same argument probably would no longer work for him,鈥� Rivera explained.