Tankers, Pia blast UAAP board, back DQ’d UP bet

MANILA, Philippines - The row over the eligibility of University of the Philippines swimmer Mikee Bartolome took a turn for the worse yesterday as rivals from other schools reportedly staged what looked like a “boycott” of the UAAP Season 76 swimming events where the Lady Maroon freshman was competing in.

A transferee from UST high school but not given a release, Bartolome sought to swim for UP on the strength of a temporary restraining order prohibiting the UAAP from enforcing its controversial two-year residency. The league’s motion for reconsideration against the TRO was also denied.

According to Bartolome’s father, Vic, the league initially instructed commissioner Richard Luna and organizer Ariel Juliano to bar Mikee from competing last Thursday as it was enforcing the old one-year residency rule. However, Luna and Juliano still allowed Bartolome to swim and left it up to the board to forfeit whatever the Lady Maroon would win later on.

Bartolome and teammates Joy Rodgers, Antoinette Aquino and Ana Nicole Tan won the 4x50m medley for UP in record fashion (two minutes, 6.75 seconds). Their supposed rivals from UST and La Salle were allegedly directed not to swim as according to the elder Bartolome, the two did so “as a sign of protest” against them.

“Hindi na sila lumangoy sa event ni Mikee. Nag-sa-suffer ang anak ko, iyak nang iyak. Pinaglaban lang ng anak ko yung karapatan ng atleta ba’t siya pa ang nagsa-suffer? Pati yung ibang swimmers nag-suffer (They didn’t participate in the events of Mikee. My daughter was crying as she swam. Why does she have to suffer? She only fought for the rights of the athletes and she’s punished for this.)” Vic told The STAR.

The alleged boycott incident drew harsh words from Sen. Pia Cayetano, who said this is sending a “wrong message” to the youth.

“By preventing the student-athletes from openly competing and showcasing their talents, the UAAP leadership is proving that promoting the development of the student-athletes is not their priority. Instead they would prefer to create a culture of protectionism in support of their narrow institutional interests,” she said.

“Sabotaging the swimming competitions will not resolve this issue. Now, not only Mikee but the rest of the student swimmers as well are suffering from the UAAP leadership’s intransigence. This is a sad, sad day in Philippine sports,” she added.

The UAAP denied there was a boycott and reiterated it “remains respectful” of the court order.

“...the UAAP Board did not order such (boycott), nor did it instigate the move. The board in general deemed it as the schools’ decision, perhaps as a sign of personal indignation or protest,” it said.

The league maintained that the board had unanimously agreed to heed the court order but stressed the need to enforce the one-year sit-out provision.

“As a result of the court order, the UAAP has no recourse but to heed and revert to the previous rule which has been imposed for decades. The old rule requires a freshman student-athlete who transfers from one UAAP school to another to complete one year of residency,” it said.

“The court order was specific on the “two-year” rule which was imposed only this Season 76, and not on the previously accepted “one-year” rule. It would be worse for the UAAP if it also lifts the long accepted one-year rule,” it added.