Senator Pia Cayetano on Friday lashed out at officials of UAAP schools over the non-participation of athletes in swimming events, calling it “a sad sad day in Philippine sports.”
Swimmers from University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University did not compete on Thursday reportedly in protest of a court ruling allowing University of the Philippines swimmer Mikee Bartolome to compete in the UAAP.
Bartolome had earlier been barred by the league from suiting up for UP as a result of the league’s new two-year residency rule for college athletes coming from another UAAP school in high school.
But Quezon City Regional Trial Court judge Manuel Sta. Cruz, Jr. issued a temporary restraining order for the UAAP to allow Bartolome to compete.
“I condemn the boycott instigated by certain school officials at the UAAP swimming competitions in support of the UAAP Board’s brazen refusal to abide by the court rulings affirming Mikee Bartolome’s right to swim in the school of her choice,” said Cayetano in a statement.
“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.
“There’s nothing to gain from the boycott, except to send the message that the UAAP is too high and too proud to take orders from anyone, including from our honorable courts, even if they trample on the rights of student-athletes.”
Cayetano, a UP alumna, has been an outspoken critic of the UAAP rule.
“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.”
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