Third Archer under probe?

Just when De La Salle is going full-steam in its inquiry on its two players who allegedly used spurious documents, there were reports a third Archer is under question for the same offense.

Sources said Department of Education officials are reportedly looking into the Philippine Educational Placement Test Certificate of Rating (PEPTCR) of the third La Salle player but refused to make any comment at the moment.

The first player mentioned who allegedly used spurious PEPTCR was identified as Mark Benitez while the second, who didn’t make the team this season but saw action last year, was identified on the internet message boards as Tim Gatchalian.

The La Salle probe panel has reportedly invited Gatchalian to shed light on the matter.

Benitez already appeared before the La Salle board and aired his side on the controversy.

The third one reportedly also took the PEPTCR, the year before Benitez and Gatchalian took theirs, and has practiced with Jose Rizal’s senior basketball team for a time. Both Benitez and Gatchalian incidentally played for JRU High.

"What is important here is that we’re starting to see a pattern," said the same source.

With this recent development, Ateneo board representative Ricky Palou said the more he will push for the UAAP board to check on the records of all the players who took the PEPTCR in the last 10 years.

"I will strongly recommend to the board that we pursue this, review all our records in the past years depending on how many years they want to go back," said Palou. "It’s the only way if we want to clean our ranks, preserve the integrity of the league and put everything in order."

Fr. Max Rendon, C.M. of Adamson, the UAAP president, and Far Eastern U senior board representative Anton Montinola both said Palou’s suggestion could be difficult and time-consuming but possible.

The Taft-based school’s executive vice-president Dr. Carmelita Quebengco leads the four-man fact-finding committee investigating the case. It is expected to come out with its findings late this week or early next week.

"That is when we will start to make our move," said Rendon.