A senior board member of the UAAP yesterday said La Salle has no more business holding on to the 2004 championship trophy after admitting that it had fielded two ineligible players that year.
"I think it’s automatic. The fact that they didn’t contest the eligibility or ineligibility of those players is already an admission of guilt. La Salle has to return the trophy to the board," said the official.
La Salle admitted last Oct. 12 that it had used ineligible players the last couple of years, including in 2004 when they defeated FEU in the finals. At the same time, La Salle said it was willing to return the trophy.
La Salle formally identified the players as Mark Benitez and Tim Gatchalian during a press conference last Wednesday or two weeks after the school investigated if the players did use fake documents to gain entry into La Salle.
They did.
During the presscon, La Salle also pointed to statistician Raul Lacson and former assistant team manager Manny Salgado as those probably behind the mess. The two vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
No other names were mentioned although many believe that the players and the two team officials couldn’t have acted on their own, and that may be officials of higher rank were involved in the mess.
La Salle is still under fire especially after the press conference where school officials merely confirmed what had already come out of the newspapers.
But they said the investigation would continue.
A revamp of the coaching staff is reportedly being seriously considered. La Salle officials have remained tight-lipped since holding the press con.
"I think that’s automatic. La Salle has to return the trophy now. You declare an ineligible player and therefore you forfeit your games. And it means that you didn’t win those games.
"And if you’re not the champion then you don’t have any business holding on to that trophy," said the board member.
A La Salle official recently told The STAR that they are just waiting for the UAAP board to decide if and when they should return the trophy
"They should return the trophy to the board — now. The board has nothing to decide on. Even if the board does not ask for it, they should return in. There’s no need for the board to decide whether or not they should return it. It’s automatic," he said.