Taoyuan protests Meralco’s first EASL win over import rule confusion 

What was supposed to be a milestone night for Meralco’s East Asia Super League (EASL) campaign turned into a cloud of uncertainty. The Bolts’ hard-earned 85–76 victory over the Taoyuan Pilots in Ilagan, Isabela — their first win of the tournament — is now under review following a formal protest by the Taiwanese club.

The Pilots lodged their protest immediately after the final buzzer, alleging that Meralco fielded four imports simultaneously during a second-quarter stretch, which they said violated EASL’s FIBA-aligned rule allowing only two imports on the floor at a time.

Taoyuan coach Lurgi Caminos, visibly frustrated after the game, didn’t mince words.

“In the second quarter, four import players played together on the floor, two more players than allowed by FIBA rules,” said the Spanish mentor before departing for Taipei.

The controversy stems from Meralco’s lineup that night, which featured Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Ismael Romero as its main imports, Ange Kouame as a naturalized Filipino, and Sina Vahedi of Iran as its Asian import. 

While the numbers seem clear on paper, the classification of Kouame — a naturalized Filipino under FIBA guidelines — appears to be at the center of the confusion.

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The issue stems from Meralco fielding in four imports in the second quarter of its game against Taoyuan Pilots #EASL pic.twitter.com/gNL1RGPxsZ

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Meralco coach Luigi Trillo maintained that there was no intent to break any rule, emphasizing that the team has always competed with integrity.

“We played with honor, we’re good soldiers,” Trillo said. “Reputation-wise, we’re one of the most honorable teams (in the PBA).”

Trillo acknowledged that the team may have misunderstood the rule application but clarified that their interpretation was that a naturalized player could be counted as a local under EASL regulations.

“It was an honest mistake,” he said. “But Taoyuan could have pointed that out right there and then and we could have been assessed with a technical. There was a deputy commissioner on the court and it was up (to him) to sanction us during the game. The most is a technical foul at the start of the third quarter.”

While the league’s ruling is still pending, Trillo believes the protest is unlikely to prosper — but welcomed Taoyuan’s right to make it.

“I told him (Caminos) you have the right to put the game under protest,” Trillo shared.

For now, the Bolts’ long-awaited EASL breakthrough remains in limbo. What was meant to be a celebration of resilience has instead become a case study in how complex international roster rules can turn a basketball victory into a procedural battlefield.

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