CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) has suspended Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) head coach Edsel Vallena for two games plus a P10,000 fine and a four-hour community service for unsportsmanlike behavior following the Wildcats’ highly physical match against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars that kicked off the league’s comeback season last Saturday, October 15, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Jaguars soundly beat the Wildcats, 83-66, but a heated altercation broke out when Vallena allegedly challenged his USJ-R counterpart Edito Salacut to a fist fight during the customary post-game handshake.
After hearing the sides of the different parties involved during the investigation they launched, CESAFI commissioner Felix “Boy” O. Tiukinhoy, Jr. and his deputy Danny Duran have found out that Vallena did challenge Salacut to a fist fight that was overheard by a lot of people in the playing court including chief referee Isidro “Ed” Aguelo, Jr.
Based on the CESAFI ground rules and regulation for season 2022-23 as amended on conduct of players, coaches and officials who are found guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct before and after the game shall be meted with a penalty of two games suspension, a fine of P10,000, and four hours of community service as determined by the Cebu City Sports Commission CCSC).
With that, Vallena sat out in CIT-U’s double game against the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons and the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers last night.
While serving his banishment, Vallena is barred from entering the playing venue. He will not also be allowed to coach after his suspension unless he pays P10,000 in cash to the cashier of CESAFI and presents a certification from the CCSC that he has already rendered the four-hour community service.
“The Commissioner’s Office would like to remind Mr. Vallena of his decorum in the court as he is representing his school which values character development to student-athletes. As coach, he should be role model in front of student-athletes and the CESAFI community,” Tiukinhoy and Duran jointly stated in their written decision announcing Vallena’s verdict.
When sought for his comment, Vallena said he accepted the league’s decision but lamented the fact that he was the only one who got punished out of the incident, which for him was just a slight altercation with him and Salacut due to the pressure of the game and of the Wildcats on the losing end.