House bill seeks harsher penalties for game-fixing

Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero said the players, coaches and officials involved in the controversial VisMin Super Cup match between Lapu Lapu City and Siquijor should suffer the severest possible penalty under the law once proven guilty of game-fixing.

The 1Pacman Partylist representative said these players showed utter disrespect to the sport closest to the heart of Filipinos so they deserve to be fined and banned from competing in any league.  

Romero authored House Bill 8870, which seeks to protect the integrity of any sports because of the proliferation of enterprising individuals who want to make money through manipulation of results of matches. 

Convicted game-fixers, according to Romero, will suffer three to six years of imprisonment and be fined from P1 million to P5 million. The bill covers pro and amateur sports.

“For showing disgraceful acts, the players, staff, officials and the persons behind these shenanigans must be severely punished,” said Romero. “They have no place in Philippine sports, basketball in particular.” 

In video clips that circulated in social media, players missed free throws and open layups in the controversial game last Wednesday in Alcantara, Cebu, 

Romero is also calling on all law enforcement agencies to step up their investigation on the matter since what transpired in the VisMin Cup is “tarnishing the image of Philippine sports.”

While Romero admits that it will take time before one could be proven guilty of such horrible act, the House members, he said, had already approved on third and final reading the measure on game fixing with a vote of 211-0.

The league had already expelled the Siquijor Mystics while several players and officials of the Lapu Lapu Heroes were fined and suspended. – Rappler.com