Was There Game Fixing in the Game Between Talk 'n Text and Petron Blaze Last Night? Ronnie Nathanielsz Clears The Issue

One of the legendary sports commentators in the Philippines his heart out thru writing a short composition about what happened in the Talk 'n Text and Petron Blaze semi-finals game last night. I got his idea but I was a bit surprised that in the last paragraph he mentioned something about game fixing. I wasn't well versed about our law regarding game fixing and so I googled it and thankfully I was able to read some important information about it. In the latter part of this post I'll share to you the information that I found and that I read about game fixing, but first, here's Sir. Ronnie's composition.

From Sir. Ronnie:

"You are expected to play hard every moment of every game no matter what. That is why Jaworski and his Ginebra squad earned acclaim for their never say die spirit. Teams are expected to play to win, not play to lose!

If Talk N' Text was a comparatively weak team who needed to pick the team it had the best chance of beating in the finals maybe we would have made a little concession. But they are surely the strongest squad in the PBA and now assured of a grandslam although in many minds it will ring hollow.

The accepted strategy is to play to win, not to lose. Period. Because if you claim that losing is a strategy then that, in some ways, amounts to game-fixing!"

And to those who don't know what Game Fixing is, here is our Philippine Law regarding the said felony. I'm sharing this to you because I want you to be well guided about certain issues like this.

MALACAÑANG
M a n i l a

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 483 June 13, 1974

PENALIZING BETTING, GAME-FIXING OR POINT SHAVING AND MACHINATIONS IN SPORTS CONTESTS

WHEREAS, the evil that is gambling has again shown its ugly head in the recently-discovered game-fixing or point- shaving scandals during sports contests;

WHEREAS, one of the objectives of the New Society is the development and promotion of desirable moral and cultural values;

WHEREAS, there is urgent need to protect one youth and sports programs and the morality of our society, especially the youth, from the eroding influence of unscrupulous persons who, through fraudulent schemes of game-fixing or point-shaving and other machinations, have made basketball and other sports contests, games and races their media of subverting the aims and goals of true Philippine sportsmanship;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, and pursuant to Proclamations No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972 and No. 1104, dated January 17, 1973; and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, do hereby order and decree that the following shall be part of the law of the land:

Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this Decree, the following terms shall mean and be understood to be as hereunder indicated:

a. Betting money or any object or article of value or representative of value upon the result of any game, races and other sports contest.

b. Game-fixing any arrangement, combination, scheme or agreement by which the result of any game, races or sports contests shall be predicted and/or known other than on the basis of the honest playing skill or ability of the players or participants.

c. Point-shaving any such arrangement, combination, scheme or agreement by which the skill or ability of any player or participant in a game, races or sports contests to make points or scores shall be limited deliberately in order to influence the result thereof in favor of one or other team, player or participant therein.

d. Game-machinations any other fraudulent, deceitful, unfair or dishonest means, method, manner or practice employed for the purpose of influencing the result of any game, races or sport contest.

Section 2. Betting, game-fixing, point-shaving or game machination unlawful. Game-fixing, point-shaving, machination, as defined in the preceding section, in connection with the games of basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball; chess, boxing bouts, "jai-alai", "sipa", "pelota" and all other sports contests, games or races; as well as betting therein except as may be authorized by law, is hereby declared unlawful.

Section 3. Penalty. Any violation of this Decree, or of the rules and regulations promulgated in accordance herewith, shall be punished in the manner following:

a. When the offender is an official, such as promoter, referee, umpire, judge, or coach in the game, race or sports contests, or the manager or sponsor of any participating team, individual or player therein, or participants or players in such games, races or other sports contests, he shall, upon conviction, be punished by prision correccional in its maximum period and a fine of 2,000 pesos with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency, at the discretion of the court. This penalty shall also be imposed when the offenders compose a syndicate of five or more persons.

b. In case of any offender, he shall, upon conviction, be punished by prision correccional in its medium period and a fine of 1,000 pesos with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency at the discretion of the court.

c. When the offender is an official or employee of any government office or agency concerned with the enforcement or administration of laws and regulations on sports the penalty provided for in the preceding Section 3 a small be imposed. In addition, he shall be disqualified from holding any public office or employment for life. If he is an alien, he may be deported.