House Deputy Majority Leader and Quezon City 3rd Rep. Franz Pumaren has sent a message to Jose Rizal University (JRU) cager John Amores, who recently made headlines by physically assaulting members of the opposing team during a basketball game.
Pumaren, a multi-time champion coach at the collegiate level, delivered a privilege speech during plenary session Monday, Nov. 14 that was dedicated to Amores.
However, the hoops mentor-turned-solon never mentioned Amores by name.
"I also hope that the player from JRU will own up to his mistakes and apologize for what he has caused in the past few months," Pumaren said of Amores.
"Yes, we may have heard statements from the parties involved but this player has yet to take accountability and apologize to the players he has hurt, affected, and even traumatized," the House leader said.
"Up to now, ni nindi man lang nag-applogize to the players (he hasn't even apologized to the players). The coach of the CSB even said it would be nice to receive an apology from the JRU player," said Pumaren.
CSB stands for College of St. Benilde, a participant-school in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). JRU is another participant school in the NCAA.
Last Nov. 9, the JRU Heavy Bombers played the CSB Blazers in a game at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The Heavy Bombers trailed the College of St. Benilde Blazers by 20 points late in the fourth quarter when hard court officials totally lost control of the game resulting to Amores changing the opposing team’s bench.
The fuming Amores knocked down Blazers Jimboy Pasturan and Taine Davis with punches before he could be restrained and sent to the dugout.
During his speech, Pumaren played several videos which showed Amores's other instances of violence on the hard court within the last five months.