Philippine Sports News and Updates

Commissioner Chito Narvasa said last Sunday’s incident where La Salle coach Franz Pumaren was slapped a technical foul for not wearing the proper ID on the court is a closed case.

"Well, I don’t even want to talk about it anymore because to me that case is closed," said Narvasa, definitely out to make his presence felt as the man in charge of this UAAP season.

The former PBA coach who once served as commissioner of the NCAA said La Salle officials were wrong in going to the media to state their case when they should have gone to him instead.

"If they thought there was something wrong they should have talked to me or they should have written me. But they did not," said Narvasa during a break in Thursday’s games.

They could have talked to me right after the game and they could have gotten the answers. But instead they went to the media. They went to everybody except me," added Narvasa.

"They (La Salle) did not go to the proper forum. And doing this leaves me with no obligation to answer them. I have no obligation at all to answer them," added Narvasa.

Pumaren was slapped a technical foul even before the big game against Ateneo started. Two charities were given and converted by Ateneo’s Chris Tiu before the tip-off.

Ateneo went on to win the close game, 79-73.

La Salle officials went up in arms, feeling they were singled out because coach Pido Jarencio of Santo Tomas escaped penalty despite the fact that he didn’t wear his ID on the court.

Jarencio said the Tigers are willing to face the penalty of two free throws in their next game against UP tomorrow if only to prove that they’re no sacred cows.