MANILA, Philippines -- Rudy Distrito, who shone as a tough, aggressive player in the Philippine Basketball Association, has been sentenced to a prison term of 4 to 12 years in a Northern Nevada jail for manslaughter resulting from a stabbing incident in November 2004.

Based on information gathered by the Inquirer, judge David Wall found the 49-year-old Distrito guilty of killing Mexican Juan Amaya following a confrontation over alleged Amaya’s romantic involvement with Distrito’s wife Jocelyn.

Distrito had earlier claimed self defense in the killing of Amaya, whom he accused of being the lover of his 24-year-old wife. The prosecution, meanwhile, sought the capital punishment for the Filipino.

It was learned that Distrito, who had pleaded to a lower sentence last month, became emotional after his sentence was read.

Asked by Wall if he wanted to say something, Distrito apologized to the family of Amaya, and to his family and fans in the Philippines.

“I apologize to the family of Juan Amaya, to my wife and children,” Distrito said. “Please give me one last chance to regain my life,” added Distrito, who was also ordered to pay Amaya’s family the sum of $10,000 (around P485,00).

Amaya’s mother, Maria Gonzales, who was present during the sentencing said:

“For me, my son was good.”

The Inquirer source said Distrito got a lift from several respected Filipinos in the community, who had testified that the 5-foot-10 guard known in the PBA as the “Destroyer” was a good person off the court and “was just forced by the circumstances.”

He said Abe King and Rino Salazar, former PBA player-friends of Distrito, came to Las Vegas from different parts of the US for the sentencing. King was teary-eyed and Salazar looked stunned when Distrito was led out of the courtroom and back to the county jail.

Another Distrito friend said the verdict was a happy development since Rudy could be available for parole in two years and he could be deported by then because he is not an American citizen.

Distrito first gained notice as a University of the East Warrior.