HERE is how I read the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) decision not to suspend Ateneo from the upcoming season in the wake of the Dipaculao tragedy that claimed the lives of two of their players.
Having read that rule book as well, there is nothing in there that should penalize Ateneo. In my opinion, the board did not find any violations to the rules and statutes. Hence, the decision to allow the Ateneo men’s basketball team to compete. Gross negligence, yes. There should be accountability, yes. The head coach, coaching staff, and the team manager were either banned or suspended.
And really, many schools and varsity teams are run either autonomously or semi-autonomously. It was a terrible and tragic accident that could have happened to anyone.
The whole affair has given every sports program in this country an opportunity to closely integrate their efforts with the school, clean up some of their messes, and be more mindful of adhering to safety above all.
Furthermore, it isn’t just that-it is also looking at protocols and responses should something untoward happen once more.
The UAAP, like the National Bureau of Investigation or even that suspicious Criminal Investigation and Detection Group investigation, have determined that the players were also victims. Hence, that decision.
Heavens, it isn’t that Ateneo is so powerful that it can buy the league’s decision. No, it is not because league’s Executive Director Rebo Saguisag graduated from Ateneo Law School and that Commissioner Jai Reyes is true blue.
If you must know, Atty. Saguisag roots for San Beda (where he went for his grade and high school education) and University of the Philippines (where he went for college). As for Jai-he is only in charge of the games and the officials and isn’t part of any voting process.
Now, having observed the board in the previous years, the adoption of the two-tier leadership has changed their decision making and approach to matters of the league.
You have the presidents of the universities who look at the league from a macro level and chart its direction, and the school representatives who are tasked with running the league.
These people have approached their discussions more methodically as they too are educators.
If you look at the decision making in previous years when it comes to rendering decisions even to erring constituents of the schools, it has changed. It isn’t the old punitive approach. If there is an individual or individuals who should be sanctioned, it is now contained to that person. It is opposed to the old way where the school’s sports programs suffered as a whole from the discretions of one.
I also gather that the people who represent the schools are no longer at each other’s throats. Gone are the days where there were boardroom shouting matches. Gone are the days when there are cliques.
I recall around 2011, I wrote a scathing article about some decision by the league. The next day, at the Big Dome, I came across three of the board members. The late Bam Paguia, then the National University representative who I had known for quite some time, took me aside and said, ‘The league is evolving.’
My reply was the league has been around for over 70 years. Why can’t the league get it right?
Mr. Paguia shrugged. ‘We’re working to make it better.’
This is not to exonerate the UAAP. Even for decisions in years past that I thought were erroneous.
I can understand that some schools and observers might feel aggrieved or even up in arms about what they feel is a poor decision too given others were previously suspended.
Again, I think that the UAAP has changed their approach in the last few years.
I think we saw some of the first signs of this during the Covid-19 lockdown when University of Santo Tomas’s then coach was likewise banned for violating the pandemic protocols. The team continued.
The tragedy of Dipaculao could have been prevented, yes. Unfortunately, history can only be learned forward. It is painful episode not only for Ateneo but also the families who lost their loved ones.
I am sure the league-as will every other one in the country-will look for ways to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.