UAAP: La Salle must take leave from all sports

The UAAP board yesterday turned down La Salle’s request for a leave of absence from basketball in the incoming season of the UAAP, saying if it is to take a leave, it has to be from all sports in the league.

"League rules have it that any member school has the right to take a leave of absence from the league," Dr. Ricardo Matibag, UAAP Season 68 secretary treasurer, said in a statement. "But if one member has to take a leave of absence, it has to be in the entirety of the league."

La Salle wrote the UAAP board last Jan. 23 where it signified its desire to take a year’s leave of absence in Season 69 basketball event for it to institute reforms in the school’s cage recruitment program in the aftermath of the eligibility scandal involving two of its players.

Men’s basketball is one of two mandatory sports in the UAAP, the other being men’s volleyball. Every member school has to enter a team in both events, or it would have to be dropped from the roster or would have to take a leave from the league.

"If De La Salle would have to take a leave of absence, it has to also take a leave from all the other sports," said Matibag.

There are 14 sports in the UAAP calendar, covering the men, women and juniors divisions.

"While recognizing the right of every member university to take a leave of absence, the board likewise took cognizance of the fact that basketball is a compulsory sport, which every member university must participate in," the board statement said.

"This board decision, as well as the decision of De La Salle University to take a leave of absence, shall be without prejudice to any action or decision that the UAAP board may take regarding the issue involving De La Salle," said Matibag. "We are now leaving it to the hands of De La Salle to decide if it would continue with its leave.

Only Danny Jose, the senior representative of De La Salle to the board, was present in the meeting. — Joey Villar