By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Games and Amusements Board Chairman Eric Buhain has suspended Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde for one year over the case involving a relative Nestor Elorde who traveled to Japan for the OPBF light flyweight title defense of Juanito Rubillar and didn’t return with the group.
The Japan Boxing Commission and well-known matchmaker, boxing manager and journalist Joe Koizumi complained about the irregularity which, in the past, forced Japan to impose a ban on Filipino boxers fighting in that country.
Buhain said he was in Japan two weeks ago as WBC supervisor for the flyweight title fight between Pongsaklek Wonjongkam and Daisuke Naito and spoke to JBC executive secretary Yasukochi who indicated he was very disappointed with the actions of Elorde.
Buhain disclosed that the GAB conducted an investigation and said they discovered through their research that Bebot Elorde “did this also three years ago and was already suspended. We felt that doing it again was really an insult especially to the relationship between the Philippines and Japan when it comes to boxing.”
The chairman said the GAB “came up with a board resolution suspending Bebot Elorde from promoting for one year and we have sent that information to JBC and the Japanese Embassy.”
Buhain said this was done to “let the Japanese Embassy know that the GAB and the Office of the President are doing our work here and are not letting this go by so easily.”
The GAB chairman said they are also “coming up with certain policies that would affect people who have relationships with this case to also prevent them from continuing this action.” He added that “to take advantage of these relationships with Japan, Korea, the United States and Australia is not right. We are strict on that but we support promotions.”
Buhain emphasized that to take advantage “for the benefit of non-boxing activities is taboo.”
