Calvin Abueva is at it again.
The controversial forward, who is known for his outspoken ways, highly physical style, and, at times, over-the-top personality, got in hot water after the Converge FiberXers’ 99-93 defeat to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After Converge’s loss, Abueva was caught on video by Spin.ph staff mouthing off “paldo, paldo ang referee” as he and the rest of the FiberXers were leaving the court. He doubled down as he got to the tunnel back to the dugout, shouting “paldo, paldo, paldo ang apat.”
Unsurprisingly, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial summoned The Beast on Monday to hash out the incident.
PBA Fines Abueva
After the meeting, the PBA deemed Abueva’s words “malicious” and thus fined Abueva ₱20,000. He did, however, escape any more punishment, like a suspension.
“Immediately following the final buzzer of the game, while on your way to your team’s locker room, you were recorded by members of the media shouting, ‘paldo ang 4 na referees.’ The said short video immediately went ‘viral’ on social media,” read part of the PBA’s reprimand to The Beast. “Such a malicious and unfounded accusation against our referees cannot go unpunished. Your irresponsible statement is tantamount to conduct detrimental to the best interests of the league… In view of the foregoing, you are hereby fined the amount of TWENTY THOUSAND PESOS (₱20,000.00).”
Curiously, Abueva seemed unbothered by the incident, even posting on his social media what he had said on Sunday and a picture of the PBA’s letter to him with the caption, “bwahaha baka maunahan pa ayan na paldo na.”
Calvin Abueva’s Actions Show No Remorse
These social media posts seem to indicate that Abueva is not the least bit remorseful for what is essentially an accusation of game-fixing. These actions show a man without a care in the world, even if he put the league that has given him a livelihood through all these years in a bad light, casting stones on its integrity and implying its league officials are corruptible.
Then again, all this is classic Calvin Abueva. Here’s a man who rarely ever takes the high road, instead preferring to be the bad guy, the villain, the controversy magnet. Here’s a man who made obscene gestures at the girlfriend of a former PBA player, claiming provocation. Here’s a man who clotheslined Terrence Jones, who had the temerity to play Abueva’s game and got clocked for it. Here’s also a man who openly mocked the disability of Jorge Gallent.
In other words, Calvin Abueva’s paldo incident is nothing new. It is par for the course.
Is This What Converge Needs?
Despite all this, Calvin Abueva will move on and play. And judging by the way he played last Philippine Cup, he will play darn well for Delta Pineda and Converge. He will get rebounds, he’ll put up points, and he’ll take that ball coast to coast and energize the FiberXers. His production and on-court energy will be game-changers.
But is Calvin Abueva the man Converge really needs? For a relatively young team looking for maturity and in search of an identity, having a wildcard like Abueva might hurt more in the long term than help. The FiberXers need poise as much as points. They need composure more than controversy. They need leadership, not laxity. They need reliability, not rudeness; a voice of reason, not a voice of treason.
In short, the question now is this: Is Calvin Abueva still worth all this trouble?
