UP swimmer secures TRO against UAAP residency rule

(From left to right) Vic Bartolome, swimmer Mikee and Sen. Pia Cayetano in a press conference on Friday.

MANILA, Philippines — Mikee Bartolome will get to fulfill her dream to swim for University of the Philippines after all.

The Quezon City regional trial court Branch 226 has granted the request of Vic Bartolome, who represented his daughter and UP freshman Mikee, Tuesday to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the UAAP’s controversial two-year residency rule.

“It is already sad to note that an excellent athlete as the petitioner shall be denied the right to participate in competitions where she can fully exercise her talent and bring honor and medals to her team just because of the two-year residency rule,” presiding judge Manuel Sta. Cruz Jr. said in a four-page order. “In so doing, her growth as an athlete would be stunted and her momentum diminished.”

The court also said that Bartolome’s “talents and gifts should be given the best of opportunity to develop and grow” and should not be “restrained” by the league’s rule.

Bartolome, who won countless gold medals in the juniors division while donning the University of Sto. Tomas’ colors, secured a 20-day TRO which keeps the UAAP from implementing its residency rule and allows the plaintiff to participate in the coming seniors swimming competition.

The Bartolomes sought the court’s help after UST refused to release Mikee’s papers for her to be able to suit up for the UP women’s swimming team this season.

But with the court able to issue a TRO a day before the UAAP’s final deliberations for swimming roster, the 17-year-old prized tanker will be cleared to play when the swimming competitions take place this September 19-22.

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