PBA reaches out to NBI after RJ Abarrientos death threats

Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos during Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals against Meralco. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—The PBA has stepped in after star rookie RJ Abarrientos received death threats following Ginebra’s loss in Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals against Meralco.

On Saturday, Marcial said that he has coordinated with the proper authorities at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the death threats hurled at Abarrientos.

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READ: PBA: RJ Abarrientos condemns death threats after Ginebra loss

“We already coordinated the matter to the proper authority, in this case, the NBI. They already talked to RJ about this. I have also talked to him and the management of Ginebra,” said Marcial in Filipino.

“I also saw those messages. It’s with me so we already coordinated with the NBI.”

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Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos during Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals against Meralco. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Abarrientos where he missed the potential game-tying four-point shot and allowed Meralco to force a do-or-die Game 3 in Antipolo this Sunday.

The former Korean Basketball League (KBL) Rookie of the Year awardee read the numerous threats made by dummy accounts “itsme.again.27” and “jocel_pactoin69” on Instagram, which he immediately condemned in his personal social media pages.

READ: PBA: RJ Abarrientos no regrets over missed equalizer in Ginebra loss

Marcial said the decision to raise the issue to the NBI was to protect the players from threats that may not only harm the league’s swingmen’s career but also their lives in general.

“Pino-protektahan din naman natin ‘yong mga players natin sa ganiyang mga bagay.” (We’re also protecting our players from these types of things.)

Abarrientos aims to get his mental psyche back on track just before Sunday when the Gin Kings on Meralco in a rubber match at Ynares Sports Center to determine who will move on to the import-laden conference’s semifinals.