MANILA, Philippines - UAAP Season 78 secretary-treasurer Ronnie Dizer of host University of the Philippines said the ball is in the hands of Ateneo if it will seek reconsideration on the eligibility case of Hubert Cani following the signing of the Student-Athlete Protection Act.
The law nullifies the controversial two-year residency requirement – the very reason Cani, a transferee from National U, was declared ineligible by the UAAP board in its last meeting.
“It’s Ateneo’s call,” Dizer told The STAR in a phone interview.
The UAAP board is set to convene on Sept. 1, four days before the new season kicks off.
“As of now, it (appeal on Cani) is not on the agenda yet. We’ll just wait for Ateneo,” said Dizer.
Ateneo board representative Ricky Palou on Thursday told The STAR the Blue Eagles will still make an effort to insert Cani into the lineup this season.
“We’ll try to get him included,” Palou said.
It remains to be seen whether the board will give the last-minute greenlight to Cani, who transferred to Ateneo while the two-year sit-out was still in place last season.
The host school expressed support for the new law.
“UP is in full support of the Magna Carta law. And the fact that it has been agreed upon to incorporate, adopt during the first board meeting, then it has also become a UAAP law,” said Dizer.