Host urges schools to police ranks

Host University of Santo Tomas yesterday called on the last three member schools vying for the UAAP men’s basketball championship to observe proper decorum and order their fans to behave during the conduct of the remaining games.

Secretary-treasurer Felicitas Francisco, alarmed by off-court incidents of late, is appealing to the leaders of the University of the East, Ateneo and La Salle to ask their supporters to show “good behavior in the last two weeks of the tournament.”

Commissioner Ed Cordero and an Ateneo fan had to be extricated at the end of the Ateneo-Santo Tomas knockout game last Sunday after the Ateneo alumnus taunted Cordero while he and his crew were leaving the playing court.

“There are some alumni who really don’t behave the way they have been educated,” Francisco said. “Let these (basketball) games be an avenue for further camaraderie among schools, their alumni and students, not for hooliganism.”

Cordero had identified the heckler and will write the UAAP board this week to ask that the person be banned from sitting near courtside. Francisco believes that Cordero has a case.

Francisco was also infuriated when some Santo Tomas faculty members who had purchased tickets belonging to Ateneo’s side of the Big Dome were asked to “leave by fans of the other school when the game had started.”

Incidentally, Francisco’s call comes on the heels of the technical committee’s reminder to La Salle officials to address this problem after La Sallites were seen applauding Brian Ilad after he was ejected after punching UE’s Mark Fampulme last week.