Rain or Shine has formally asked the PBA to review the actions of Meralco forward Cliff Hodge and impose stiffer sanctions, alleging a pattern of dangerous plays following his dangerous collision with Adrian Nocum.

In a letter signed by governor Mamerto Mondragon and addressed to PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, the Elasto Painters raised concerns over the Meralco forward’s actions during ROS’ 85-83 win last Sunday, Aug. 2.

Nocum went down and winced in pain after a knee-to-knee collision with Hodge who was trying to draw an offensive foul during a play at the 4:06 mark of the third quarter — an incident which head coach Yeng Guiao deemed as a dirty play.

Guiao even called out Hodge and branded him as the ‘dirtiest player in the league’ after the game.

The Elasto Painters franchise, through the complaint, reiterated its belief that the Meralco forward ‘acted with intent to cause harm’  against Nocum during that sequence.

“Based on the footage and the nature of the play, we firmly believe Mr. Hodge acted with intent to cause harm. Given the recurring nature of such plays throughout his career, we respectfully urge the league to conduct a thorough review of the incident and take decisive action,” Mondragon wrote.

Rain or Shine also cited an earlier incident where Hodge caused a boxer’s cut on Elasto Painters’ rookie Deo Cuajao during their first game.

“This is not an isolated case. Earlier in this conference, Mr. Hodge caused a laceration near the eye of our player, Mr. Deo Cuajao, which merited an unsportsmanlike foul. These recurring incidents along with numerous other hard hits delivered to players across the league demonstrate a consistent pattern of behavior,” the ROS governor stressed.

“While these actions are often dismissed or characterized as "accidental" by him, they frequently result in bloody and potentially career-threatening injuries for aggrieved players,” he added.

Rain or Shine highlighted a similar incident Hodge did against Mark Barroca and Zavier Lucero in the recent Commissioner’s Cup and last season’s Philippine Cup, respectively.

The Elasto Painters franchise added that while they welcome the physicality of the games, the safety of the players remained the priority.

“We fully recognize that basketball is a physical sport; however, sportsmanship and player safety must remain paramount. Mr. Hodge has repeatedly transgressed these boundaries, endangering the well-being of his fellow professionals,” the letter added