PBA player shoots man over basketball feud

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Basketball Association player John Amores and his brother yesterday surrendered to the police after they figured in a shooting incident following a heated argument over a basketball game in Lumban, Laguna.

The 25-year-old shooting guard of Northport and his brother John Red, 20, surrendered to the Lumban police at around 2 a.m., a few hours after the incident that occurred at past 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Barangay Maytalang I.

Footage from a closed-circuit television camera showed Amores getting off a motorcycle driven by his brother and firing a gun at a man, identified as Lee Cacalda, who was not hurt in the incident.

Before the shooting, Amores and Cacalda figured in a fistfight during a basketball game in nearby Barangay Salac.

The winning team was expected to receive P4,000.

The fistfight ended with both Amores and Cacalda reportedly challenging each other to continue the fight in Barangay Maytalang I.

The men reportedly met in the village – where Amores, who was allegedly armed  with a handgun – shot but missed Cacalda.

After the shooting, Amores and his brother fled toward Pagsanjan. A pursuit operation was launched against them.

Another Amores sibling, who is  chief of a barangay in Pagsanjan, contacted the police for the surrender of the suspects.

Amores told investigators that he panicked and threw the gun away.

Cacalda’s mother, Shirley, vowed to pursue charges against Amores.

“He tried to kill my son over P4,000. I will pursue charges to teach him a lesson. It’s time to put an end to his arrogance,” Shirley said.

The siblings are facing charges of attempted murder before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Sta. Cruz.

It was not the first time that Amores figured in a controversy.

In 2022, Amores was banned by the National Collegiate Athletics Association for punching players of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde during a game with Jose Rizal University, his team at the time.