PBA fines Alaska’s Trillo P40,000 for tirade

MANILA, Philippines – The PBA has penalized Alaska Milk coach Luigi Trillo a fine of P40,000 for his media rant against officiating and charging a game official in the Aces' heartbreaking 83-84 defeat at the hands of the San Mig Coffee Mixers Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

League commissioner Chito Salud said Trillo was fined P20,000 for his post-game rant against league officiating and another P20,000 for violating a rule that prohibits any players, coaches and staff from accosting or confronting game officials.

“For repeatedly issuing statements to the press that tend to undermine public confidence in the game’s outcome in general, and mislead and confuse the public as the correctness of the call made by the game officials with respect to the free throw violation in the game between the Alaska Aces and San Mig Coffee Mixers in particular, statements that are deemed by this office to be detrimental to the best interests of the league, you are hereby fined the amount of P20,000,” Salud said in a press statement today.

"For violating the rule prohibiting any member of a team from approaching or confronting the game officials during or after the game, coach Trillo is hereby fined the sum of P20,000," he added.

The STAR tried to get in touch with Trillo but he hasn't replied as of posting time.

Trillo appeared at the commissioner’s office today following a summon issued by Salud Sunday.

The Alaska mentor was protesting a call that nullified what would have been a game-tying free throw by rookie Calvin Abueva due to a double lane violation called by the referees with 12.4 seconds to go.

Trillo, whose Aces went on to lose that hotly contested game, tried to plead to Salud that it should be a disconcerting violation that the game officials called instead of the double-lane violation.

He presented a video showing San Mig's Mark Barroca and Peter June Simon bumping Abueva before he launched the free throw that went in and eventually got nullified.