NCAA board decides fate of embattled Lion

The NCAA Policy Board will convene today to decide on whether or not to allow Jake Elvin Pascual to play for San Beda this year.

San Beda rector Fr. Mat de Jesus, OSB, yesterday confirmed the meeting of the board composed of presidents and heads of member schools following a letter of appeal he filed last Thursday.

The meeting will be held right after the Season 84 media launch early today at ABS-CBN’s ELJ Building in Quezon City.

De Jesus said he’s hoping the Policy Board will allow Pascual to suit up for San Beda when the league opens on June 28 at the Araneta Coliseum.

“What has given me the courage and inspiration to appeal this case is the very benevolent action of the Policy Board in allowing PCU to re-enter the NCAA and play again in the senior division of Season 84,” de Jesus said in his appeal.

In documents obtained by The STAR, de Jesus was advised by the Sarmiento, Delson, Dakanay and Ressureccion Law Firm to elevate the case to the Policy Board after the Management Committee ruled last June 5 to disallow Pascual from seeing action for the Lions for the second straight year.

The committee, then headed by Paul Supan of Jose Rizal, also barred Pascual from playing last season.

The specific rule cited by the Mancom was violation of the NCAA rule prohibiting graduating high school students who are repeaters from participating in any NCAA competition. Pascual was also charged for submitting falsified eligibility documents.

But de Jesus argued that Pascual was only a “victim” and it was then PCU high school coach Bong Sales who advised him to repeat another term as a third year high school student so he could play for the Baby Dolphins.

 “Since he was 16 years old at that time, therefore, a minor, and coming from a simple parochial school in Tarlac, it would be impossible for him on his own accord to willfully and knowingly violate any NCAA rules on eligibility,” said de Jesus.

Pascual, in a sworn statement, said his real intention was to play for the PCU senior basketball team and not the high school squad.

The affidavit was even used by the NCAA Mancom in its investigation of PCU. – Joey Villar