PBL drug test harsh but humane to users

Confidential, fool-proof, undisputable.

Under these guidelines, the Philippine Basketball League is all set to begin its drug-testing program on all its players, coaches and officials as it vowed to impose harsh penalties and help rehabilitate the offenders without subjecting them to public humiliation.

To undergo drug testing mandatory and random — at the end of the ongoing PBL Unity Cup are the 135 players from nine teams, their coaches, team personnel and league officials as well. The testing will be done by the Asia Pacific Medical and Diagnostic Services, Inc. at P600 per person.

Drug-testing in the PBL will come after that of the Philippine Basketball Association where five players — Asi Taulava, Dorian Peña, Jimwell Torion, Alex Crisano and Norman Gonzalez — have either tested positive for marijuana or illegal substances.

The PBL said the testing will be done as subtle, sophisticated and humane as possible.

"I don’t want to step on the toes of other people but we will do this while protecting the interest and integrity of the players. We won’t even try to threaten their careers," said PBL commissioner Chino Trinidad during yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Manila Pavillion.

Trinidad said that unlike in the PBA, the PBL will keep everything confidential that the names of the would-be offenders — if there’d be any —will not be announced in public. This way, the PBL chief said, the players, officials and their families will never be subjected to public humiliation.

"There will be no leaks regarding the results. We will keep it a secret. The medical firm will see to it that the results will not be revealed to the public and on our part, ako lang ang makakaa-alam kung sino ang may tama. Even the media won’t know about it," said Trinidad.

To ensure its confidentiality, each person to be tested will be logged into the computer going by a respective code and not by their names.

"The players will have their respective codes na kahit makita mo ang listahan, hindi mo alam kung sinong player ‘yun. Walang (Juan dela Cruz) na pangalan sa computer but numbered codes. And it’s only the medical firm and I who will have access to these codes," he added.

Taulava and Peña tested positive for marijuana use and were suspended only for two games after succeeding tests proved negative. Torion, Crisano and Gonzalez, for their part, tested positive for illegal substances and were suspended indefinitely until such time that their cases are re-evaluated.

Torion and Crisano have voluntarily gone into rehabilitation while Gonzalez has continued to challenge the results and even threatened to bring the case to court unless he is re-enlisted by the PBA, claiming that it was a substance in his dietary supplement that was traced in his urine sample.

More than the suspension (with no pay, of course) it’s the public humiliation that has made these players and their respective families suffer.

"In our case, we will make sure that a player who tests positive will not even consider challenging the results. Sisiguraduhin namin," said Trinidad, citing as example Gonzalez case and that no matter what happens to his challenge, the damage has been done.

"Threatened na ang career niya. That’s why the PBL will not subject them to public humiliation or in a way that you’re crucifying him. We will try to avoid that. We are here to help. The names of their families will also be dragged into the case so we will try to protect all of them, too.