The president of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Muntinlupa said the ban on Kean Baclaan and three other players and a coach is effective only for the remaining championship games of the La Liga De Muntinlupa Basketball Tournament 2024.
In a decision issued on July 6, the committee of the La Liga De Muntinlupa Basketball Tournament 2024 banned players Baclaan (also a player for the De La Salle Green Archers), Ram Panganiban, Alfie Silva and Jayson Tugonon, and coach Hansel Baclaan Malate, all from the Barangay Bayanan team, for attacking and disrespecting game officials during Game 1 of the championship game between the teams of Barangays Bayanan and Cupang on July 5.
Kean Baclaan of the Barangay Bayanan team in Muntinlupa (Photos: Aksyon Garantisado - Alagang Gutierrez Facebook account, screenshot from Ibrik's video on Facebook)
The team of Barangay Bayanan during the championship game in Muntinlupa on July 5 (Screenshot from Ibrik's video on Facebook)
“The following sanctions and penalties have been imposed on the players and coaches involved in the incident: Banned from the tournament for physically attacking and disrespecting game officials,” according to the decision by the league committee.
In an announcement on July 8, Barangay Poblacion Chairman Allen Ampaya, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, said, “We would like to clarify that players Kean Baclaan, Ram Panganiban, Alfie Silva, Jayson Tugonon, and Coach Hansel Malate are only banned from participating in the current season of La Liga de Muntinlupa 2024.”
“However, this ban is limited to the remaining game/s of the finals this season, and they will be eligible to participate in the tournament next season,” he said.
Ampaya added, “We strongly condemn any form of negativity and encourage everyone to maintain a respectful and positive environment. Together, let’s uphold the spirit of sportsmanship and unity that our tournament stands for.”
The chaos started when a player and a referee had a confrontation. At the time, the scores were 97 for Cupang and 96 for Bayanan. This led to people and players charging the referee.
People threw monoblock chairs and water bottles. A parallel investigation is being conducted to identify those who threw the chairs.
In the decision, the League Committee announced that “Brgy Cupang won the game for forfeit due to Brgy Bayanan players and coaches physically attacking the game officials.”
Baclaan apologized for his actions during the game.