Serrano in tears over Adamson’s reversal

MANILA, Philippines – Adamson junior basketball star Encho Serrano broke into tears as lawyers argued his eligibility case that prompted the UAAP Board to forfeit the Baby Falcons’ 11 wins during a marathon hearing before the Manila Regional Trial Court last Friday.

According to Adamson assistant coach Rene Baena, the hearing took over eight hours, including lunch break, with the UAAP Board standing firmly on its position that the decision to rule Serrano ineligible after playing in 12 games this season was justified. But it appears that Serrano’s case may be set aside momentarily while the court decides whether Adamson was in contempt for ignoring a TRO that was issued last Wednesday to restrain the UAAP Board from executing the forfeiture of games. The decision will be handed down at noon today.

Serrano, 17, played in 12 games this season, leading the Baby Falcons to an 11-1 record, the only loss to FEU. He averaged 19.3 points and 8.1 rebounds, hitting 58 percent from the floor, over 12 outings and was the leading candidate for MVP honors. When the UAAP Board ruled Serrano ineligible, Adamson played its last two games of the eliminations without the 5-11 Pampanga forward and beat UST and NU.

“Encho feels he let his team down but I told him that’s not the case,” said Baena. “Even before Encho joined our team, we were competitive. That’s why he’s so downhearted. It’s like he deprived his teammates of the championship. It’s not as if he lied or cheated because he didn’t. He was in line for the MVP award but now, that’s gone. The award would’ve meant a lot to him. He’s a kid from a poor family. His parents separated when he was a boy. His mother finished only up to second year of high school. Recognition is important for a kid like him to boost his self-esteem.”

Adamson junior coach Goldwin Monteverde said the UAAP Board’s disregard of the TRO was in contempt of court. “All I can do is just hope for the best and for the UAAP Board to be enlightened, be just and fair,” he said.

The day after the TRO was issued, the UAAP Board went ahead with its schedule of playoffs to determine the pairings of the Final Four. As it turned out, De La Salle Zobel downed UST, 72-65, to clinch the last ticket to the semifinals while FEU trimmed Ateneo, 64-62, to gain the No. 2 spot and the twice-to-beat advantage. Tomorrow, the UAAP Board has scheduled the start of the playoffs with No. 1 NU taking on No. 4 DLS Zobel and No. 2 FEU facing No. 3 Ateneo.

UAAP president Fr. Ermito De Sagon of host UST blamed Adamson for failing to comply with requirements in affirming Serrano’s eligibility. He said Adamson submitted unacceptable documents to the UAAP eligibility committee.

“The fact of the matter is that Mr. Serrano was ineligible from the very start of the tournament since the document, the VAIS (Varsity Athletes Information System) form was never submitted by Adamson not only within the 48-hour period given by the committee but up to this very day,” said Fr. De Sagon. “Consequently, the forfeiture of the games is not to be considered unjust and too much.”

But Baena wondered if Serrano’s papers were unacceptable from the start, why was he allowed to play in 12 games for Adamson? And after Adamson zoomed to the top of the standings, the UAAP Board ruled Serrano ineligible. The timing of the forfeiture has raised suspicion that it was motivated by personal interests and not by a fair ruling.

The matter of seeking redress from the court to address an issue of eligibility is dangerous because it undermines the authority of a league like the UAAP. But in the senior men’s basketball tournament this season, the UAAP Board allowed NU’s Matthew Aquino, who had been ruled ineligible, to play in four games on the strength of a TRO. Aquino was found to be ineligible before the season started but the UAAP Board couldn’t stop him from playing in four games, two of which the Bulldogs won, because of the TRO. When the TRO lapsed, Aquino was back on the bench but the UAAP Board never ruled to forfeit NU’s wins that came with him playing. In 2013, the UAAP Board also bowed to a TRO in allowing Mikee Bartolome to swim for UP after ruling her ineligible until she served a two-year residency.

There appears to be inconsistency in the UAAP Board’s ruling on Serrano’s case. The UAAP Board allowed two athletes Aquino and Bartolome to compete on the basis of a TRO even if they were previously ruled ineligible. In Serrano’s case, he was sanctioned despite a TRO and was allowed to play before the UAAP Board put his head on the chopping block in what seemed like an entrapment. A source said the UAAP Board claimed the TRO was not served because its counsel was out of town.