MANILA: San Miguel Beermen dethroned Barangay Ginebra as the PBA Commissioner’s Cup champion by sweeping them out of the semifinals through a 94-91 Game 3 win on Sunday night in front of 15,126 fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
After a close first half, the Beermen asserted control of the game after erupting for 32 points in the third quarter to go up, 75-69.
They even upped the lead to as high as 11, 90-79, with less than five minutes left in the fourth.
However, the Gin Kings crawled back through a 10-2 run that cut the lead down to three, 92-89, with 39 seconds left.
Bennie Boatwright kept the door open for Ginebra to complete a late comeback as he missed two free throws with 20 seconds left, but Christian Standhardinger had his inside pass intended for Tony Bishop picked and June Mar Fajardo sealed the win with two free throws with eight seconds to go.
Boatwright led San Miguel, which will await the winner of the Phoenix-Magnolia series in the best-of-seven finals, with 26 points, 13 r
ebounds, one assist, and two blocks.
Phoenix Fuel Masters lived to fight another day in its semi-final duel against Magnolia Hotshots after storming back to take them down, 103-85, in the first game.
Just when the Hotshots looked poised already to sweep the best-of-five affair midway through the second quarter, the Fuel Masters finished the second quarter strong and even pulled away in the second half.
Similar to Game 2 on Friday night, Magnolia opened Game 3 efficiently offensively and dropped 31 points on Phoenix at the end of the first quarter.
The Hotshots then pulled away early in the second quarter and opened a 47-26 lead with 5:26 remaining before halftime.
The Fuel Masters, though, finished the second period on a 12-4 run to cut the lead down to 13, 51-38, at the half.
Phoenix completed the comeback in the second half after outscoring Magnolia, 65-34.
Johnathan Williams led the Fuel Masters, who cut the series down to 2-1, with 19 points.
Tyler Bey put up 18 points for the Hotshots, who have a
nother chance at finishing the Fuel Masters in Game 4 on Wednesday night back at the MOA Arena.
Source: Philippines News Agency
MANILA: The Court of Appeals (CA) has turned down the administrative complaint filed by Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez against police officers who implicated him in the illegal drug trade of the Espinosa family in Albuera town.
In a 12-page decision shared on Monday, the CA 13th Division upheld the June 28, 2019 decision of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) en banc, which dismissed the administrative cases for grave misconduct, dishonesty, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer that Gomez filed against Jovie Espenido and Leo Laraga, who both held the rank of Chief Inspector at the time; and then-Police Officer 3 Hydie Yutrago.
In rejecting the complaint of the former actor-national athlete, the CA said ‘in administrative cases, appeals are extended to the party adversely affected by the decision, which refers to the government employee against whom the administrative case is filed for the purpose of disciplinary action, or the disciplining authority whose decision is in question.’
‘The f
act that the petitioner is the then Mayor of Ormoc City is of no moment. It is established that in administrative cases, a complainant is a mere witness. No private interest is involved in an administrative case as the offense committed is against the government,’ the CA said.
‘In fact, the Supreme Court has held that a private complainant in an administrative case has no right to appeal the decision of the disciplining authority,’ it added.
In Gomez’s case, it was the Inspection, Monitoring and Investigation Service (IMIS) of Napolcom that found probable cause to file a formal charge against the police officers.
The IMIS conducts continuous inspection and management audit of personnel, facilities and operations at all levels of command of the Philippine National Police, as well as Napolcom’s regional and field Offices; monitors the implementation of the agency’s programs and projects relative to law enforcement; and monitors and investigates police anomalies and irregularities.
‘Considering that the peti
tioner has no legal interest or standing to appeal and seek the nullification of the assailed decision and resolution exonerating the individual respondents from the administrative charge of grave misconduct, dishonesty and conduct unbecoming of a police officer, we thus find no need to delve on the merits of this case,’ the CA said.
Source: Philippines News Agency