Torion wants to apologize

Jimwell Torion wants to make peace first with Jimmy Alapag before dissecting a big problem brought about by his flagrant foul on the Fil-Am player during the Red Bull Barako-Talk n Text knockout game Wednesday.

"Ayaw muna niyang isipin iyong sanction dahil gusto muna niyang mag-apologize personally kay Alapag," said Danny Espiritu, agent-adviser of the Red Bull Barako guard.

Torion actually intended to visit Alapag at Medical City yesterday but changed his mind on the advice of Espiritu.

"Mas maganda siguro kung magpadala muna kami ng emissary. Baka hindi pa ready si Alapag na tanggapin si Jimwell, so masasayang lang ang dalaw ni Jimwell," said Espiritu.

Hearing comments from many quarters that the sanction Torion got from Wednesday’s incident was so harsh, Espiritu told The STAR they will definitely make an appeal to the PBA Commissioner’s Office.

Commissioner Noli Eala slapped Torion a severe punishment of a P70,000 fine and suspension in the duration of the league transition season next year for his flagrant foul that sent Alapag to the hospital with a fractured nose bridge.

For Torion, that will mean no less than P2 million loss in wages since the player is to receive P275,000 a month next year.

Without this pay in a long eight-month period, Torion’s problem would be how to feed his wife and four children and pay his monthly amortization of about P70,000 for his Antipolo house and his car.

Red Bull Barako coach Yeng Guiao was among those who thought Torion got an excessive penalty.

"Hindi ko naman sinasabi na hindi mali ang ginawa ni Jimwell pero nakita ko ang pangyayari sa harapan ko mismo. It was spur of the moment. It was not premeditated, out of frustration lang," said Guiao.

"Dapat commensurate lang sa pagkakamali ang penalty. Hindi naman habitual offender si Jimwell para i-suspend ng ganoon katagal," Guiao added.

League insiders themselves 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.

Espiritu remembered Distrito got that penalty on his sixth offense. — Nelson Beltran