The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League has cancelled the remainder of the Bacolod MassKara’s 2026 campaign and permanently banned several of its players and coaches after issuing Red Cards amid an investigation into alleged game manipulation.
The decision came after mounting scrutiny surrounding the struggling franchise, which owns a league-worst 3-19 record and has lost by an average margin of 25.09 points per game this season.
Questions surrounding the team’s performances intensified following Bacolod’s controversial 100-64 defeat to the Bulacan Kuyas, a game in which the MassKara failed to score for most of the fourth quarter en route to a 36-point loss.
Earlier this season, Bacolod also absorbed the most lopsided defeat in MPBL history, suffering an 84-point beating at the hands of the Abra Solid North Weavers, 129-45.
In a statement released on Thursday, the league announced sweeping sanctions against the franchise while emphasizing that the investigation remains ongoing.
“Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League reiterates its unyielding commitment to preserving the integrity, fairness, and credibility of the sport.”
The league said it had officially issued Red Cards to the players and coaches involved from Bacolod MassKara, resulting in lifetime bans from the MPBL. It likewise cancelled the team’s participation for the remainder of the season.
According to the MPBL, the sanctions are administrative and preventive in nature as it continues to investigate the allegations in coordination with relevant government agencies.
League officials also revealed that the franchise had previously been warned by the Office of the Commissioner over earlier incidents during the season, with some members of the team already having received Yellow Cards before the latest developments.
The MPBL noted that the Red Card system was personally introduced by founder and chairman Manny Pacquiao as part of the league’s campaign against game manipulation, adding that the mechanism is recognized and supported by the Games and Amusements Board.
“The MPBL stands firm against any attempt to tarnish the sanctity of Philippine basketball,” the league said, adding that swift and decisive action would continue to be taken against any conduct that undermines the trust of fans, team owners, and the public.
The league also expressed regret that the integrity of the competition had been called into question.
“We vow to the public, our fans, and the entire basketball community that we will remain relentless and uncompromising in eradicating game-manipulation from Philippine basketball. The integrity of the game will always come first,” the statement concluded.
Bacolod’s removal marks one of the most severe disciplinary actions in MPBL history as the league intensifies its efforts to safeguard the credibility of Philippine basketball while the investigation continues.
