CESAFI Board to decide on fate of schools today Tiukinhoy insists 'lifetime ban' on those involved in triple walkout

CEBU, Philippines - The fate of the three schools that staged a daring walkout during the semifinal round of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. men’s volleyball event will be known today as the CESAFI Board of Directors under the leadership of Engr. Rolando Villa of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) will convene for a special meeting to take up the matter.

In his earlier statement, CESAFI commissioner Felix O. Tiukinhoy, Jr. has indicated that he is bent on imposing lifetime ban on the three schools that walked out of the game as mandated in the CESAFI rulebook.

The concerned institutions are University of the Visayas (UV), University of San Carlos (USC) and USPF.

“I don’t know what will be his (Villa) action for this. I’m just waiting for what he would tell me to do. We will have a meeting tomorrow (today). Knowing that there is a rule of lifetime ban for those who will stage a walkout during games, I might invoke that rule if it warrants during the discussion,” warned Tiukinhoy.

Last Sunday, USPF walked out of its semifinal match against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R). USPF coach Cecil Jotojot claimed their act was in support of the protest they filed to Tiukinhoy against USJ-R player Jade Dionson, which they deemed ineligible to see action in the tournament.

Moments later, USC of coach Roderick Arenasa and UV of coach Jonathan Aves followed suit in sympathy of USPF because they too were involved in lodging the protest.

The coaches of the three schools were unanimous in asserting that Dionson is ineligible to play following the CESAFI amended rules on transferees that stipulate that a transferee must have at least one-year residency before he can suit up for his new team.

In the case of Dionson, he previously studied at USPF and was even an active member of the school's varsity team under Jotojot but stopped schooling for two years to work. He decided to study again but enrolled at USJ-R this time.

For Jotojot, that is a valid ground for Dionson's disqualification. And since they're already in the playoff stage and the issue has not yet been threshed out, Jotojot felt walking out of their game was their last recourse, if not their best option, to force Tiukinhoy to act on the matter.

But Tiukinhoy thinks otherwise.

“My interpretation is different from their interpretation. This is not a popularity contest. They (coaches) wanted me to believe them because they disqualified the player but ako diay di na lang diay ko ka-interpret?” blurted out Tiukinhoy.

“If they do not agree to my interpretation, how come they just appealed now, after the elimination round? They must have appealed it earlier with a not defective protest letter. It’s a premeditated plan to walk out. They cannot threaten CESAFI by walking out just because they did not get what they want,” he added.

Standing pat on his ground, Tiukinhoy said he is ready to face whatever consequence that will escalate from his decision.

“Bahala na ang mga tag-iya sa eskwelahan kung unsa ang ilahang gustong mahitabo kay ang mga coaches naman ang mag buot. So, no comment na ko. I will face whatever consequence they will give me,” said Tiukinhoy firmly. (FREEMAN NEWS)