DANDING LUCERO

WINNING AT ALL COST(S)?

In the first of the two-part series of Charlene Dy of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, "How far can college cage teams bend the rules?" that appeared on pages 1 and 16 of The Philippine Star last 19 December 2005, a paragraph read:

Yet when asked if other schools in the UAAP had also investigated themselves for possible document falsification, league secretary and Adamson representative Dr. Ricardo Matibag replied sharply, "No. No. No. Because the anomaly is only La Salle, why (would) they want to do (that) with other schools? The anomaly is only with La Salle because La Salle has the motto of winning at all costs (italics mine)."

As a La Sallian, I find this position taken by Dr. Matibag both disturbing and irresponsible for the following reasons:

Dr. Matibag is a member of the UAAP fact finding committee which reported to the board last 14 December that it had not concluded its probe. If the statement above was made before the committee started its investigation, then he clearly has prejudged the issue; if it was made after, then am I to presume that the committee has finished its probe and, is he is now announcing its findings?

To my knowledge, La Salle has not asked the other UAAP schools to "investigate themselves" for possible document falsification. Obviously believing the opposite to be the case, Dr. Matibag said, "No. No. No. Because the anomaly is only La Salle, why (would) they want to do (that) with other schools?"

DLSU has voluntarily disclosed the ineligibility of two of its players, returned its season 67 championship trophy, and forfeited all its season 68 games, including its runner-up position. I understand that the penalty for unwittingly fielding ineligible players is the forfeiture of games.

After an almost daily run after this hit the papers in October and now with this PCIJ article, Dr. Matibag should have been able to discern where La Salle was coming from. If he has not, he has no business imputing motives until he proves otherwise.

Dr. Matibag is not only a member of the UAAP fact finding committee but also a member of the board that will ultimately mete the possible sanction(s) on La Salle. I see his bias and can only conclude that he is an unfit judge.