Prior to the brief scuffle between San Beda’s Robert Bolick and Saint Benilde’s Carlo Young, San Beda head coach Boyet Fernandez was already frustrated with the calls in the Red Lions-Blazers tilt, especially in the last 10 minutes of the game.
Fernandez alleged that the game officials had been ignoring their inquiries during the course of the game.
“Fourth quarter, the other team only had one foul and we had six fouls? You just ask the referee, ‘Hey, why do we already have six fouls and the other team has one?’ And the referee goes to the table and say[s], ‘warning’,” the two-time NCAA champion mentor recalled.
Already infuriated, things reached boiling point with 2:28 left in the game, as Bolick was ejected from the game after officials deemed that he thrown a closed fist at Young.
“We’ll just wait for the report of the commissioner. I really don’t know what’s his report, but if it’s a closed fist, then it’s a closed fist. If they’re telling me that it’s a closed fist, then it’s a closed fist. But they have to show me the tape for now,” Fernandez opined. “I think it’s not a closed fist. It’s not really a closed fist. He was really even pushed by the other guy. Natumba na, tinulak pa.
“Tatayo yung tao tapos tatawagan mo ng thrown out? Para namang ang layo naman nun. Why, do they want us to lose?”
But even during that moment, the referees did not answer the questions raised by Fernandez about the ejection.
“We’ll appeal that for sure, but how can we appeal if there’s no report? ‘Di ba? We want to know what happened, why they called it for Robert,” Fernandez fumed. “Bakit? Tatanungin mo ang referee, ayaw nila sumagot eh.
“Ano gagawin mo? Tatahimik na lang tayo? They have to justify it!”
Though Fernandez is trying not to entertain the thought that there was bad faith that occurred, it is hard for him not to feel this way, as he felt that his team is being targeted by league commissioner Bai Cristobal.
“Sayang, sayang. Mahirap lang mag… hindi ko alam eh. Mahirap mag-speculate, but … I don’t know. Is Bai the commissioner last year?” raised Fernandez, as Andy Jao was last season’s commissioner.
And Fernandez could not help but feel sorry for Bolick, whom he thinks has become collateral damage as his MVP hopes were dashed with the ejection.
“Bakit naman ito-thrown out mo ‘yung tao. Diyos ko naman. The guy is running for MVP,” expressed Fernandez.
“He [Cristobal] destroyed the future of that guy.”
