A National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) local qualifier turned chaotic last Sunday after a bench-clearing brawl broke out during the closing moments of the game between De La Salle Zobel (DLSZ) and Arandia College.
The melee, which involved parents and players, has sparked outrage, with legal action now being pursued by Arandia College.
Notably, some of the players from Arandia College are minors.
One of the parents involved in the altercation is NorthPort governor Erick Arejola, the father of DLSZ Junior Archer Champ Arejola – who was allegedly punched by an Arandia player.
Arejola was also punched by a player which triggered him.
School president Yolanda Arandia has confirmed that she intends to file legal charges against Arejola and two other parents.
“Para sa akin, itutuloy ko po ang kaso kasi kung ganyan na ang parent – feel nila mayaman sila, nasa posisyon sila, at kaming maliliit ay gaganituhin nila – siguro dapat ang batas ay walang kinikilingan,” Arandia told News5’s Ian Suyu.
The altercation erupted with just 1:01 left in the game, as the Junior Archers led 89-78.
Tensions flared during an inbound play when DLSZ player Paul Reguera threw a punch at an Arandia player’s chest.
This incident escalated further when two parents from the DLSZ side confronted the Arandia player, triggering the brawl.
In video footage that has since circulated online, Arejola was seen throwing punches at two Arandia players.
“Three parents ang nakita ko agad na bumababa dun sa bench. Yung isang parent na naka-white, pinanghahawakan niya yung player ko. Ni-lockdown kaya nakatakbo yung isang player ko at pinatid pa ng isang parent,” said Arandia head coach Cezar Babasa, who also revealed that six of his players were physically harmed during the melee.
Prior to the incident, the game had already turned physical, with Arandia players being particularly aggressive against the Junior Archers.
Amid the chaos, Louie Alas, father of DLSZ player Kieffer Alas, intervened to help de-escalate the situation.
In response to the incident, the NBTC released a statement condemning the violence:
“The National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) does not condone violence in any shape or form. It’s unfortunate that a fight marred the semifinals of the Las Piñas City local qualifying tournament between De La Salle Zobel and Arandia College, with footage of parents and coaches engaging in a full-blown melee.
We respect the autonomy of the local organizers, in this case the LPM Basketball League, with regards to handing out just penalties for the players and coaches involved. However, the NBTC recommends that the championship game between De La Salle Zobel and AMA Basic Education of Las Piñas this weekend be held behind closed doors to avoid similar incidents in the future.
May we also remind our coaches, parents, and supporters that we are stewards of the game, and it is our task to teach these young men to be good role models on and off the court. More than the pursuit of greatness, the NBTC highly values its virtues of developing skills, building character, and raising leaders.”
