Jio Jalalon has been handed a fine and is suspended for being caught playing in an unsanctioned game which not just violates Philippine Basketball Association rules but also breaching health protocols.
League commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed the development first reported by GMA News Online.
Photos surfaced online that saw the 5-foot-9 playmaker in an outdoor basketball game early this week.
Since May, the league and all its members have been following a strict gym-home-gym setup in their practices.
“Umamin sa akin ‘yung bata at humihingi ng paumanhin na hindi na raw niya uulitin,” Marcial told Tiebreaker Times.
With this, the league has handed Jalalon a P75,000 bill along with a five-day suspension with no pay.
Marcial added that Magnolia has slapped additional sanctions on the five-year veteran.
On Friday, the league announced that protocol violators will incur a P75,000 fine, along with a 10-day suspension with no pay.
However, Jalalon’s case came before the implementation, resulting in a five-day decrease in punishment.