Two players escaped the team-wide expulsion of the Siquijor Mystics in a VisMin Super Cup follow-up investigation on Saturday, April 17

League chief operations officer Rocky Chan confirmed that Miguel Castellano and Michael Sereno were absolved from the lifetime banishment imposed on Siquijor following its controversial match against Lapu Lapu.

Castellano was spared after missing the game due to a sore right knee, while Sereno left the bubble altogether last April 9 after training with the team due to personal reasons.

Vincent Tangcay’s case is also under review as he also did not play a single second in the contest

The league cited “acts dishonorable to the game,” as the basis for its Siquijor ban last Thursday, April 15, as multiple fans and sports personalities widely condemned the game’s “lowlights” that went viral on social media.

Even basketball legend Dondon “Cebuano Hotshot” Hontiveros expressed his concern over the controversy that rocked the upstart league in its first week of operations.

In a release from league sponsor Chooks-to-Go, which has reportedly opted to stay as a backer amid pullout threats, Hontiveros said that the league as a whole should learn from this recent debacle moving forward.

“The main purpose of this event is to give players jobs and give unknown players a break,” he said. “I hope this would serve as a lesson and a warning that they won’t waste this opportunity that was given to them.”

Hontiveros, who is serving his first term as Cebu City councilor concurrently with his consultancy with the PBA’s Phoenix Super LPG, was initially asked to be VisMin’s commissioner before he begged off due to the aforementioned commitments.

Back to game action, ARQ-Lapu Lapu made its VisMin return Saturday afternoon, but ultimately fell short, 75-84, against undefeated powerhouse MJAS Zenith-Talisay City Aquastars.

Lapu Lapu was spared from a league ban in the aftermath of the Siquijor fiasco, but still lost 6 suspended players who allegedly played a part in the controversial game.

Fielding just a maximum of 10 players, the undermanned Heroes squad ate up a 16-2 Talisay rally late in the fourth quarter that ultimately decided the game.

Talisay maintained a pristine 4-0 record while Lapu Lapu suffered its first loss at 2-1, tied with KCS Mandaue in second place.

Jhaymo Eguilos led the Aquastars with 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Vincent Minguito paced the Heroes in the losing effort with 13 markers, 7 boards, and 5 blocks.

In the second game of the double-header slate to end the week, the Tabogon Voyagers handled the Dumaguete Warriors, 86-78.

Joemari Lacastesantos led 4 players in double-digit scoring with 18 points, a game-high 9 assists, and 6 rebounds, as Tabogon evened up at fourth place with a 2-2 record.

Ronald Roy provided a bench spark for Dumaguete with a game-high 21 markers, 4 boards, and 4 dimes in the loss that sent them down to fifth place at 1-3.

Games will resume on Tuesday, April 20. – Rappler.com