An eight-month suspension that would cost no less than P2 million in loss of salary.
Torion hit Alapag with a clothesline tackle late in their team’s sudden-death Wednesday, sending the flashy Phone Pal guard to the hospital with a fractured nose bridge that took a surgery to fix.
Stressing he will never allow any type of unsportsmanlike conduct in the league, PBA commissioner Noli Eala made the verdict after a one-hour meeting with Torion, suspending the Barako guard for the duration of the PBA transition season spanning from February to September next year.
Aside from the suspension, Torion was also slapped a record fine of P70,000. But there’s no question that the ban would hit him hardest since it would cost the cager his monthly salary of P275,000 for eight months.
Eala took into consideration Torion’s previous records and the dire consequences of his actions in meting out the penalty that went down as the most severe for a single player.
Torion was fined P25,000 for his fight with Bal David in a pre-season game between Red Bull Barako and Barangay Ginebra last Feb. 22. Two months later, the Cebuano player was suspended indefinitely for testing positive for drug use.
"This is a sad day for me and the PBA because we have to hand out another sanction. But it’s a day we have to face and resolve. My responsibility is to the league, to instill discipline and maintain professionalism in the highest degree," said Eala.
"This is something the PBA can’t tolerate. His action was totally uncalled for, unprovoked and unnecessary during the period because Talk n Text was on its way to victory then," Eala added.
The Phone Pals were leading 89-79 with 46 seconds left to play when Torion gave a blatant foul on the unsuspecting Alapag. The Fil-Am guard suffered a nose bridge fracture and may sit out the opening games of the Talk n Text-Coca-Cola semifinal duel.
"Humihingi ako ng patawad kay Jimmy Alapag, sa Red Bull at Talk n Text managements at lalong-lalo na sa PBA fans. Hindi ko rin gusto ang nangyari, pero handa akong harapin ang parusa sa akin ni commissioner," said Torion.
Eala said Torion or the Red Bull Barako team can appeal the verdict anytime within the duration of the penalty.
League insiders said the closest that would approximate the penalty on Torion were the unspecified fine and almost five-month suspension slapped on Rudy Distrito for a rugged tackle on a driving Jeffrey Cariaso during the 1995 second conference finals between Sunkist and Alaska.