UAAP probe on DLSU cager sought

A UAAP top official said yesterday he would push for the league’s own investigation of an alleged ineligible player playing for La Salle the past three years.

Ateneo deputy athletic director Ricky Palou, chairman of the UAAP technical group, said there’s a need to dig deeper into the case especially with the report that La Salle has known the matter as early as August.

Palou, however, stressed: "We trust La Salle to come up with a fair investigation."

Far Eastern University senior board member Anton Montinola said there’s a big possibility that the league will conduct its own inquiry.

"I’m sure La Salle would want to get to the bottom of this. So we must wait for their investigation to conclude first before we act on it," said Montinola.

Palou was particularly concerned with the information he got that La Salle has known the controversy since the first week of August.

"I’d like to know if this is true or not," said Palou, who earlier criticized UAAP president Fr. Max Rendon for keeping to himself information shared by La Salle before Game Two of the recent UAAP Finals.

Palou was just one of a number of board members who felt bad on Rendon’s decision.

"That’s the smoking gun," said another board member, who requested anonymity.

"If La Salle already knew all about this since early August, Fr. Max is already out of it since he was only told about this on Oct. 5," the same board member said.

With the admission of using an ineligible player, La Salle is facing possible suspension in the league just like what happened to Adamson in 1995 in a case involving Marlou Aquino.