The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) expressed sadness after a player, John Amores of the Northport Batang Pier, shot a person on Wednesday, September 25, in Lumban, Laguna.
On Thursday, September 26, Amores and his 20 year-old brother surrendered to the authorities
"This is a matter subject of investigation by the police, and we cannot comment in it. But we are saddened by such unfortunate incident," PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said in a statement.
Batang Pier drafted Amores in 2023, and he signed a one-year contract with the PBA team.
PMaj. Bob Luis Ordiz, officer in charge of the Lumban Municipal Police Station, said that Amores, prior the shooting incident, had a fight with the victim, a certain Lee Cacalda, during a basketball game.
A closed circuit television video (CCTV) footage showed Amores alight a motorcycle, driven by another person, and shoot Cacalda, who managed to avoid the bullet, along the national road
"Nagkaroon ng kaunting altercation doon sa basketball game mismo. Napaghiwalay naman ang dalawang partido at naghamunan lang ng suntukan," Ordiz said during DZRH's Damdaming Bayan.
"Along the national highway of Lumban, doon sila nagpang-abot ulit at iyon nga, may dala ng baril, at pinaputukan kaagad yung ating victim," he added.
Ordiz said that Amores faces charges for frustrated murder.
During his collegiate days, Amores already got embroiled in controversy due to a punching incident in 2022 in a game between the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, his team, and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Blazers.
The Blazers and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) imposed an indefinite suspension on Amores due to the incident, which garnered national attention.
While the collegiate stint of Amores came to an early end, his basketball career continued after he joined the Zamboanga Valientes in the 2022 ASEAN Basketball League, and the Muntinlupa Cagers in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
