UAAP to tackle La Salle’s leave

The UAAP board yesterday called for an emergency meeting on Feb. 8 where it is expected to decide whether to grant or deny La Salle’s request for a leave of absence from the league’s basketball competition this coming Season 69.

"The board will meet next week," UAAP board chair Fr. Max Rendon, C.M. of Adamson told The STAR in a text message yesterday.

He did not elaborate.

But it is widely believed that the meeting, originally set late this month, will tackle the latest La Salle move wherein the Taft-based school has appealed for a leave in the aftermath of the cage eligibility scam.

A source, however, said the board might also decide to defer making any decision until such time the UAAP ad-hoc committee investigating the eligibility scandal has wrapped up its inquiry.

The five-man committee, chaired by Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P. of Santo Tomas, is reportedly in the final stages of its inquiry and there is a big possibility that it might come up with a report in time for the Feb. 8 meeting.

"I don’t know if they’ll come up with a report by that time (Feb. 8) but I’ve heard they’re not yet ready," the same source said. — Joey Villar