IN CASE KUME FORGETS, IT'S HIS DUTY TO PROTECT SANCTITY OF EVERY PBA VOTE

CHICAGO - Sorry if I'm sounding like a broken record. Willie Marcial is a great guy, a loving family man. But he falls short as a PBA commissioner.

His callous disregard of the alleged cyber attack on the recent All-Star balloting reflects a leader that lacks circumspection, attention to detail, and sadly perhaps, a backbone.

READ 'Hacker' claims he rigged results of PBA All-Star online voting

"Wala akong pakialam dyan," Marcial told our editor in chief Dodo Catacutan in an interview.

This "I don't care" attitude from a commissioner responding to claims that one of his league's signature events may have been rigged, is not only heartbreakingly irresponsible, it weakens the integrity of the PBA.

Apparently, Marcial couldn't care less.

"Basta ang alam ko, naging masaya ang PBA All-Star this year. Masaya kami doon (sa Bacolod), napasaya naming ang fans at pati ang mga players masaya."

DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY?

I get it, happiness is important, but so is the assurance that the PBA's social media platforms remain a safe place, free from the manipulation of wicked minds that prowl the world wide web.

"Para sa akin, lahat ng players na nandun (sa Bacolod) deserving (to be an All-Star), added Marcial.

But how can he say that with such defiant certainty when the alleged hacker who reached out to SPIN.ph writer Snow Badua provided concrete proof that thousands of votes can just be tacked on to a player with one malicious click?

Marcial also didn't seem to care that an ancillary piece such as Keith Zaldivar, who plays for struggling Converge, got the most votes in a popularity contest, propelling him to play in the Rookie, Sophomore, Juniors game while someone surely more deserving like Cade Flores was left out.  

"Hindi ako naghinala," Marcial quipped.

He should have, just to be informed and not necessarily be cynical.

Asked why the PBA withheld releasing the final tally of votes amid questions on the validity of the results, Marcial explained that "it has never been the practice of the league to release the voting tally" since it sometimes needs to adjust the All-Star line-ups depending on the availability, or non-availability, of the players voted in."

GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT.

Those results need to be made public to make sure that the process withstands scrutiny. Which is why political election results and census surveys are released. Heck, even the Rotary Club makes their balloting transparent.

Look, the PBA is a potential victim here and a good commissioner would have done his due diligence by consulting with his tech team and demand an assessment on whether a breach in the system and a crime had been committed.

If so, the league must consult with law enforcement and then appraise its fans of the measures the league will take to safeguard its processes.

A bad commissioner lazily, quickly dismisses the allegations of potential cyber misconduct and just says "titingnan natin next year."

PHOTO: SPIN.ph

Marcial may not know this, but by casually dismissing the possible encroachment a hacker did in the All-Star voting, Kume Willie - God forbid - may have goaded those in the dark underworld of the internet to launch a more vicious attack just to prove a point.

"You should care. It affects the league, players, the fans," SPIN.ph reader Bobby wrote. "It's just like saying I don't care if the fans do not show during  live games,"  added Romeo Honrado.

Valid points, which are likely to fall on deaf ears. Talk to the hand, people.

2024-03-27T14:14:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd