Rain or Shine has formally appealed to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to impose stiffer penalties on Meralco veteran Cliff Hodge, releasing the letter it submitted to Commissioner Willie Marcial following the controversial collision involving Adrian Nocum during their recent Governors' Cup matchup.
The Elasto Painters made the letter public on Tuesday, saying the move was made "in the interest of transparency."
"The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters do not and will not condone any unprofessional conduct in the PBA. We stand by Adrian Nocum, Deo Cuajao, and every player whose safety and well-being are put at risk on the basketball court," the team said in its statement.
Rain or Shine also confirmed that it had formally elevated the incident to the league office.
"Yesterday, we formally submitted a letter to the Office of the PBA Commissioner regarding the incident involving Adrian Nocum during our recent game against Meralco."
In the letter, the Elasto Painters argued that the collision should not be viewed as an isolated incident, saying they believe Hodge's actions crossed the line between acceptable physicality and dangerous play.
"We firmly believe Mr. Hodge acted with intent to cause harm," the team wrote, while urging the Commissioner's Office to conduct a thorough review of the incident and "take decisive action."
Rain or Shine likewise cited previous incidents involving Hodge, including the laceration suffered by teammate Deo Cuajao earlier in the conference, as well as past plays involving Mark Barroca and Zavier Lucero, claiming these reflect "a consistent pattern of behavior."
The franchise also maintained that previous disciplinary actions have failed to curb Hodge's style of play.
"While previous fines and suspensions have been issued, they have proven insufficient in deterring Mr. Hodge from crossing the line between acceptable physicality and reckless, dangerous play," the letter read.
While recognizing basketball as a physical sport, Rain or Shine stressed that player welfare must remain the league's foremost concern.
"We fully recognize that basketball is a physical sport; however, sportsmanship and player safety must remain paramount. Mr. Hodge has repeatedly transgressed these boundaries, endangering the well-being of his fellow professionals," the team added.
As a result, Rain or Shine formally asked the league to impose stronger sanctions and preventive measures.
"In light of this, we respectfully request that the Office of the Commissioner impose stiffer penalties for his actions against Mr. Nocum and implement proactive measures to prevent similar dangerous incidents in the future."
The Elasto Painters also expressed confidence in the league's commitment to protecting its players.
"We trust in the league's commitment to upholding player safety and integrity."
Rain or Shine's statement came a day after the Meralco Bolts publicly defended Hodge following criticism over the incident during the Elasto Painters' 85-83 victory in the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup.
Earlier, Meralco stood by its veteran forward, saying Hodge has always played the game with intensity but never with the intention of injuring an opponent. The Bolts also criticized what they described as repeated public attacks against one of the franchise's longest-serving players, saying such remarks unfairly portray him as a dirty player despite years of competing with passion and professionalism.
Rain or Shine has now responded by taking the matter beyond public statements and formally seeking disciplinary action from the PBA, arguing that stronger penalties are necessary to protect players and preserve sportsmanship in the league.
The PBA has yet to announce whether it will act on Rain or Shine's request.
