ANTIPOLO — Don’t expect Yeng Guiao and Alfrancis Chua to bury the hatchet anytime soon, even though Barangay Ginebra San Miguel has already ousted Rain or Shine in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
Both the fiery figures have known each other for 25 years, yes, but the animosity hasn’t simmered down, especially with the Elasto Painters head coach standing firm with the callout he made against the SMC sports director back in Game 4.
“Ano lang naman ‘yung sa akin eh, follow the rules,” he said moments after their 118-107 defeat in Game 6 at the Ynares Center here, Sunday night.
Guiao has seemingly read about Chua’s response to his statements the day after their heated encounter at the SMART Araneta Coliseum sidelines last Wednesday, which included an exchange of “ulol” to one another.
All that the champion mentor wanted to point out, he reiterated, was for the Kings team governor to refrain from talking to the referees, which he felt intimidated the latter–thus possibly affecting their calls in matches.
In fact, he even stressed that the PBA rulebook states that only the head coach and the first assistant coach are allowed to talk to referees.
That’s why he questioned, albeit rhetorically, why those rules apparently do not apply most especially to Chua, who’s also the league’s vice chair.
“Ang ano ko lang doon, it has long been in our rulebook, but it has long been not implemented or not applied in his case,” said the former PBL commissioner.
Guiao also noted that no one should be above the ruling–his response to Chua’s retort, in which he told the ex-politician to just focus on his team.
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“Nung binanggit ko siya, or sinita ko siya, ang sagot niya sa akin, ‘wag ko raw pakialaman dahil Board of Governors sila, coach lang ako—parang ganun yata yung ano eh. It doesn’t matter kung ano posisyon mo,” he said.
“Kung ano ‘yung nasa rules, dapat pinapasunod sa lahat. Ang nasa rules natin, only the coach and the first assistant can talk to the referees. And for a long time, nangyayari ‘yun nang walang consequence doon sa parte niya.
“Hindi nagma-matter kung anong posisyon mo, and I think kung ganun ang mentality niya, that’s arrogance. Na dahil ba Board of Governors siya, puwede niyang i-ignore yung ganoong rule? Hindi naman siguro dapat,” he added.
Guiao also didn’t take lightly Chua’s claim that he’s more intimidating to the referees, saying that the latter basically admitted that he does so as well.
“Mas malakas daw ako mang-intimidate ng referees. I think that is an admission on his part na nag iintimidate siya ng mga referees,” he said.
“In-admit niya na nag-iintimidate siya ng referees dahil sinabi niyang mas malakas akong mag-intimidate.”
The 67-year-old bench tactician added that while he also complains to referees and game officials, he willingly accepts whatever consequences he may face, something that Chua, he claims, has never experienced.
“Pero ang part ko naman doon is, when I coach, I am submitting myself to the authority of the referees,” he said. “Pwede nila akong i-technical, pwede nila akong i-fine, pwede nila akong i-eject, pwede nila akong i-suspend.
“Na, natikman ko na lahat ‘yun. Pero siya, kahit technical, wala pa siyang natikman e. Kahit warning, wala nga siyang natikman eh.”
It may take some time for both men to reconcile, although Guiao said that he won’t give Chua a cold shoulder should they cross paths in the future.
“Walang problema sa akin. Matagal ko nang kilala si Al Chua, 25 years na kaming magkakilala,” he said, hoping to have settled the issue once and for all.
