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Wednesday, June 04, 2003
14 more PBA cagers positive for drug use
MANILA—Fourteen more professional basketball players have tested positive for use of prohibited drugs, police officials said yesterday.
Meanwhile, the House Committee on Games and Amusements, chaired by Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, will conduct an inquiry today on the drug testing methods of the Philippine Basketball Association.
Chief Supt. Restituto Mosqueda of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory said the PBA leadership has been advised of the confirmatory results conducted on 20 players earlier tested positive for possible drug use.
“It’s up to the PBA and the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) to reveal their names,” Mosqueda told reporters when asked to identify the basketball players and their respective teams.
Mosqueda said the 20 players were randomly selected and hinted that a number of other players in different teams could be using illegal drugs.
The test results were based on the urine samples submitted by the Department of Health which conducted the first round of drug examinations on the players. Most of those found positive for shabu and other illegal substance use were Filipino-Americans.
Players who earlier tested positive for drug intake were Zandro “Jun” Limpot of Ginebra San Miguel, Davon Harp of Red Bull, Dorian Peña of San Miguel Beer, Noli Locsin of Talk ‘N Text, Ryan Bernardo of Federal Express and Angelo “Long” David also of Talk ‘N Text.
Others who have been suspended indefinitely by the PBA for drug use were Jimwell Torion of Red Bull, Alex Crisano of Ginebra and Norman Gonzales of Talk ‘N Text.
Mosqueda said 11 more urine samples still remain for confirmatory testing.
Retired police general Efren Fernandez, chair of the anti-dangerous drugs board, said the test results were efficient and reliable.
“They don’t have to worry about the standard. The PNP has the credibility to come up with (such results),” Fernandez said.
Puentevella has invited the country’s top medical practitioners, PBA commissioner Noli Eala, representatives of the Department of Health and the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), and protesting players allegedly tested positive for illegal substance to the hearing.
“The inquiry will help shed the truth regarding the tests conducted by the DOH on PBA players who claim they have never touched shabu or marijuana, yet their urine samples have yielded positive results,” said Puentevella Tuesday in the Philippine Sportswriters Associationweekly forum at the Holiday Inn Manila.
Among the players who cried foul were Noli Locsin, Zandro Limpot
and Davonn Harp.
At the Senate Monday, Sen. Robert Jaworski filed Resolution No. 616 instructing the committee he chairs to investigate the matter for the sake of the affected players who have sought his help.
“Was the system used by the DOH absolute and fool-proof? Is it better than the ones being used at the St. Luke’s Hospital, which has the most modern drug testing facilities in the country?” were just some of the questions raised by Puentevella, a former commissioner of the Philippine Sport Commission (PSC).
“What was the procedure used? Was there a memo issued by the PBA on what substances should not be taken before a drug test? Why was it that they were not told of the results first before calling for a press conference?”
Puentevella pointed out that the tests should be temporarily stopped if there is no fool-proof method of drug testing because not only will it destroy the lives and reputation of the players but it will also hurt youth sports tournaments like collegiate leagues if wrong results will come out.
He said that he is 100 percent against athletes taking prohibited drugs.
“In fact, I am going to write PSC chair Eric Buhain to conduct similar tests on athletes going to the December Southeast Asian Games (Seag) in Vietnam to make sure that we don’t get embarrassed abroad,” said Puentevella.
Limpot, center for Ginebra San Miguel, said he was deeply shattered by the DOH findings.
“This is the most trying incident in my life. If I get out unscathed by this, I will be a much-stronger person. I’ve lost sleep over this. When I go out to buy milk for my kid, I spend about two hours answering questions about the case. I have become paranoid,” said the 6-foot-6 Limpot.
Asked if he will go on rehabilitation in case the PBA won’t budge on his drug test result, Limpot said he will not because that will be tantamount to saying he is guilty.
Limpot, 31, admitted taking a medicine called Rhinophone to cure his nasal problem and breathing difficulty but has never taken any illegal drug or supplement since childhood.
Limpot and his lawyer Lucille Sering, also his cousin, might go to court if the PBA Commssioner’s office won’t issue an apology and clear his name.
Sering said putting Limpot in a rehab center would do the latter harm because he will be bunched up with drug addicts and it will violate his human rights.
Red Bull’s Harp, last year’s top rookie, said the issue devastated him and like Limpot, he would not go into rehab.
“I am not guilty and I will not let anybody pin me down for a sin I have not committed,” said Harp. (PNA)
(June 4, 2003 issue)
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