Smart Araneta Coliseum. Contributed photo by Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — Not only did Adamson fall to University of Santo Tomas, but its players also fell prey to thieves in their locker room at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
After 62-67 setback to UST, the Falcons went inside their dugout only to discover that their bags had been opened and all their valuables — money and gadgets – were missing.
“You already lost, your valuables were even stolen,” a frustrated Adamson head coach Leo Austria told the reporters after the incident.
Austria said the locker room door was actually locked before they entered and was not left open by the thieves. Their utility man was in charge of the key, but Austria said, “ever since he has been trusted.”
“It looks like other people were responsible. It seems that the perpetrators are used to the place. If you’re not familiar with the area, you wouldn’t know where to go,” said Austria in Filipino.
Players Maui Bernabe, and Jerome Garcia lost their iPhone 4s, Eric Cabigas and Raouf Julkipli lost at least P3,000 in cash, Lloyd Abrigo a Samsung Note 2, and Jericho Cruz at least P5,000 and an iPhone 5.
Austria, though, did not lose anything, saying he kept them well under his clothes.
This wasn’t the first time that players have been robbed inside their lockers, and not only at the Araneta Coliseum.
Just this year, the Blackwater dugout also got ransacked inside the Blue Eagle gym during a PBA D-League game, while Meralco got robbed at the Mall of Asia Arena last year.
Members of the media have also been victimized inside the premises of the Coliseum. During the last season of the UAAP, a photographer lost his MacBook in the press room.