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The Games and Amusement Board (GAB) announced on Friday the reinstatement of Calvin Abueva’s professional license ahead of the resumption of the 2020 PBA Philippines Cup.
In a statement, the GAB outlined two important caveats, as agreed by its board this morning.
These two additional requirements are:
1. You must attend a seminar on the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for a Professional Athlete and sign that you will comply with it, and;
2. You must submit to the mandatory drug test as part of the medical requirements.
According to GAB Commissioner Ed Trinidad, it was agreed that Abueva will head to the office for the required seminar and drug testing.
“He told us the last time we spoke, that he was allowed to come out of the bubble if necessary,” Trinidad told ESPN5 in a message.
Trinidad added that the forward was regretful in their hour-long encounter.
“He was sorry and he apologized and realized that he had done something wrong. He also promised that he would not do it again,” Trinidad said.
“Let this be a lesson for all professional athletes. A professional license is just a privilege and with it comes great responsibility. A hard lesson learned from Calvin Abueva, but we believe he deserves a second chance to redeem himself.”
Abueva must sign a resignation in compliance with the established rules. The Philippine Cup will resume on October 11 at the University of Angeles Foundation.
However, regaining his professional license does not necessarily mean that the league will automatically lift Abueva’s suspension. Seeking comment, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial reiterated that he still had some requirements for Abueva that, he said in Filipino, were “for the good of all, the league and Abueva.”
Nonetheless, Phoenix interim head coach Topex Robinson expressed his gratitude to the GAB, while clarifying that Abueva may not need to get out of the bubble to complete his requirements with the government agency.
“Very grateful to Commissioner Mitra and the GAB office for reinstating Calvin’s license,” Robinson said in a message to ESPN5.com. “I’m not sure if it still needs to come out (of the bubble) or not. We will await the GAB’s decision.”
Abueva has been suspended since June 2019 for fighting with former TNT import Terrence Jones and for committing lewd gestures against another player’s girlfriend in separate incidents that occurred just days apart. His suspension is the longest in league history.
Eros Villanueva of ESPN5.com contributed to this report.
