Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio said Sunday they would take the initiatives to study and form a guideline that could avoid cheating and similar things that occurred in the Pilipinas VisMin Super League last week.

Panlilio said the guideline would include penalties and sanction, like a lifetime ban if necessary.

“Moving forward, the SBP will study how such unwanted incidents that unduly stains the integrity of the game of basketball can be prevented from happening again in the future,” said Panlilio in a statement.

“How those guilty of dishonestly playing the game in this deplorable fashion can be penalized, if not banned outright from engaging in the sport of basketball.”

Last Wednesday, April 14, 2021, players from the Siquijor Mystics and the ARQ-Lapu Lapu Heroes were involved in a controversial game that led to allegations of ‘game fixing’.

A day later, officials of VisMin expelled Siquijor and penalized players and coaches of Lapu Lapu. The Games and Amusements Board (GAB), according to its chairman Baham Mitra, is also doing a separate investigation.

Panlilio said the association fully supports the investigation being conducted by GAB.

“The SBP expresses its support to GAB in its moves to get to the truth and accordingly penalize those who committed this great injustice to all basketball stakeholders,” he said.

“The SBP, as the National Sports Association, is mandated to oversee that the integrity of the game of basketball is upheld and maintained at all times for it to be a source of inspiration to the youth of the country towards developing role models, who can contribute to the overall effort of nation building.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the travesty that took place.”