NBI arrests college ball players for game-fixing
By Peter Atencio
A GAME-FIXING scandal involving a point guard of the College of St. Benilde rocked the National Collegiate Athletics Association yesterday, casting a shadow on the league’s credibility.
Paolo Orbeta, a key player of the College of St. Benilde Blazers, and three other suspects, were arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents on suspicion of illegal gambling during an entrapment operation yesterday morning.
Blazers coach Carlos Garcia said he was shocked by Orbeta’s arrest, adding he would no longer be allowed to play for the rest of the season if he was proven guilty.
The National Bureau of Investigation said Orbeta was caught receiving marked money from complainant Wilfred Uy, a student, during an entrapment operation at Ate Em’s eatery on Agno Street in Malate, Manila.
Also arrested were schoolmates James Ryan Mangaran, Rajan Chandumal, also known as Howard Gan, and a police inspector identified as Aaron Elago.
Another player, Luigi Guingon, a member of the Blazers’ Team B, remained at large.
“It’s shocking. He’s my best player, and we have been losing games,” Garcia said. He added he was alarmed when the point guard did not show up for practice Thursday.
Orbeta had been missing practices over the last two days.
In a press conference, Director Nestor Mantaring said Uy filed a complaint with the bureau saying that the suspects had demanded payment of P1 million for losing a bet on an NCAA game, but added he never placed the bet.
Orbeta and his friends still pressured him to pay up and brought Elago in uniform to threaten him.
Earlier, Orbeta and Guingon tried to borrow P300,000 from Uy to pay off debts that arose from betting on the National Basketball Association games.
Orbeta allegedly told Uy he could recover the money because he could sell a game and use his earnings from throwing the game to pay him back.
Orbeta remains in the bureau’s custody and will be unable to play in today’s game.
NCAA officials said they would investigate the case and take appropriate action.
A College of St. Benilde official said the school would conduct its own investigation. With Jing Villamente
By Peter Atencio
A GAME-FIXING scandal involving a point guard of the College of St. Benilde rocked the National Collegiate Athletics Association yesterday, casting a shadow on the league’s credibility.
Paolo Orbeta, a key player of the College of St. Benilde Blazers, and three other suspects, were arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents on suspicion of illegal gambling during an entrapment operation yesterday morning.
Blazers coach Carlos Garcia said he was shocked by Orbeta’s arrest, adding he would no longer be allowed to play for the rest of the season if he was proven guilty.
The National Bureau of Investigation said Orbeta was caught receiving marked money from complainant Wilfred Uy, a student, during an entrapment operation at Ate Em’s eatery on Agno Street in Malate, Manila.
Also arrested were schoolmates James Ryan Mangaran, Rajan Chandumal, also known as Howard Gan, and a police inspector identified as Aaron Elago.
Another player, Luigi Guingon, a member of the Blazers’ Team B, remained at large.
“It’s shocking. He’s my best player, and we have been losing games,” Garcia said. He added he was alarmed when the point guard did not show up for practice Thursday.
Orbeta had been missing practices over the last two days.
In a press conference, Director Nestor Mantaring said Uy filed a complaint with the bureau saying that the suspects had demanded payment of P1 million for losing a bet on an NCAA game, but added he never placed the bet.
Orbeta and his friends still pressured him to pay up and brought Elago in uniform to threaten him.
Earlier, Orbeta and Guingon tried to borrow P300,000 from Uy to pay off debts that arose from betting on the National Basketball Association games.
Orbeta allegedly told Uy he could recover the money because he could sell a game and use his earnings from throwing the game to pay him back.
Orbeta remains in the bureau’s custody and will be unable to play in today’s game.
NCAA officials said they would investigate the case and take appropriate action.
A College of St. Benilde official said the school would conduct its own investigation. With Jing Villamente