GAB orders Asi, Peña to 6-month rehab

Asi Taulava and Dorian Peña must not only serve suspension but also enrol and undergo a six-month rehabilitation program and test negative of prohibited drugs to regain their license to play in the PBA.

This was ruled by the Games and Amusements Board, which, in a statement, said "it is incumbent upon the board to adopt and implement sanctions to those PBA players who are tested positive for prohibitive drugs."

The GAB board led by chairman Eduardo Villanueva was attending a Senate hearing at presstime and was not available for comment on whether a player can play in the league while undergoing the six-month rehab.

If not, then Taulava and Peña will be out of the entire All-Filipino Cup.

The GAB suspended the license of Taulava and Peña for two games after the two players were found to have traces of marijuana in their blood samples in a drug test.

GAB acting board secretary Ofelina Artugue said the re-issuance of license to both players is subject to the compliance of Resolution No. 03-06, Series of 2003 which calls for the players to serve the period of suspension, enroll and undergo a six-month rehabilitation program and test negative of prohibited drugs.

The GAB confirmed reports that succeeding tests on Taulava and Peña showed negative results.

Sen. John Osmeña earlier suggested to place Taulava and Peña on a compulsory drug rehabilitation invoking sections 61 and 62, Article 8 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Acts of 2002.

The PBA has said the two players will be required to undergo drug test before each of their games in the All-Filipino Cup.

Osmeña said section 61 calls for the compulsory confinement of a drug dependent who refuses to apply under the voluntary submission program. Section 62, on the other hand, requires compulsory submission of a drug dependent charged with an offense to treatment and rehabilitation.

Taulava has served the two-game suspension meted him by the PBA Commissioner’s Office. Peña, meanwhile, will serve the second of his own two-game suspension in the Red Bull-SMB game tonight.

If they are allowed to play, the two players return to action curiously in the Talk N Text-SMB tiff Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Meanwhile, titleholders Coca-Cola and Red Bull have found themselves struggling in poor form, walking the tightrope before fending off San Miguel Beer and FedEx, respectively, last Sunday.

But the Tigers and the Thunder might have shaken off the rust amassed in the off-season and are tapped to play better today and have easier time scoring a second straight win in the Samsung PBA All-Filipino Cup.

Coca-Cola will be up against Shell in the 5 p.m. opener while Red Bull faces San Miguel in the 7:30 p.m. mainer at the Philsports Arena.

Though ranged against the badly depleted Beermen, the Tigers played catch-up most of the way, needing a big finishing kick to earn a 72-67 win. Coca-Cola was down by nine, 43-52, entering the final quarter.

The Thunder likewise had to make a daring chase in the end to survive a listless start, pulling off a 79-71 decision over the FedEx Express.

The Turbochargers repulsed the Asi Taulava-less Talk N Text Phone Pals last Wednesday but lost to the Purefoods Hotdogs Sunday.

Coach Perry Ronquillo’s boys must come out spewing fire if they were to beat the Tigers who live and die on an up-tempo game.

Rudy Hatfield was energy personified in their debut versus the Beermen, making 23 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Tigers to the come-from-behind victory.

Shell yielded a number of fastbreak points to Purefoods Sunday, allowing the Hotdogs to run away with a 78-69 win. Curiously, the Hotdogs failed to score a single fastbreak point in a losing stand against the Barangay Ginebra Kings last Wednesday.

San Miguel, meanwhile, simply needs to step up minus Danny Ildefonso, Danny Seigle and Dorian Pena against Red Bull. Ildefonso and Seigle are nursing different injuries while Pena is serving the second of the two-game suspension he incurred from the Commissioner’s Office for flunking the drug test. Pena may sit out a few more games as the Games and Amusements Board looks poised to implement its own sanction.

Sans Ildefonso, Seigle and Pena, San Miguel would be scaling a tall tower in Red Bull.

Davonn Harp, Mick Pennisi, Homer Se and Enrico Villanueva would give the Thunder a decisive edge against the Beermen at the frontcourt. San Miguel will only have Arnold Gamboa, Nick Belasco, Bryan Gahol and new recruit Marlon Legaspi to depend on at the posts.

Dondon Hontiveros, Olsen Racela and Boybits Victoria may provide firepower at the backcourt but their counterparts Willie Miller, Junthy Valenzuela, Lordy Tugade and Jimwell Torion may also deliver goods for Red Bull.