The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on Wednesday said the referees who officiated the controversial game between De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Jose Rizal University are now under an automatic preventive suspension.
According to Management Committee’s Hercules Callanta, referees Anthony Sulit, Dennis Escaros, and Antonio Baguion are under investigation and are currently suspended from officiating NCAA games.
"'Yung peripherals, yung security, referees and officiating, those are still forthcoming. They are under preventive suspension at the moment," Callantas said in a press conference on Wednesday.
"Automatic yan, if there's an unfortunate incident that takes place, there's an automatic preventive suspension. Until they're cleared, they're not allowed to officiate."
Sulit, Escaros, and Bagiuon were the officials who handled the game between the Heavy Bombers and the Blazers where JRU's John Amores punched three Benilde players with 3:22 left in the game.
"I don't want to preempt the results of the investigation cause we're still going to go through all the footage from different angles as well as accounts from both sides, JRU and Saint Benilde," he added.
Aside from the referees, spectators and hecklers who allegedly triggered Amores' outburst are also being investigated.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
