They’re spoiling our collegiate athletes

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Top level players of the University Athletic  Association of the Philippines (UAAP)  are allegedly being pirated by some member-schools in exchange of a house and lot,  and a car, Senator Pia Cayetano said on  Thursday.

Emerging from the hearing on the proposed  magna carta of  student-athletes,  Cayetano  lamented  how the  student-athletes have  become  “commercial objects”  being  offered  “scholarships with benefits”  by  certain universities and colleges  just to recruit  them.

“The scholarship should be limited to academic scholarship, board and lodgings, transportation… Hindi yung ginawang negosyo yung paglilipat mo ng school,” said Cayetano, head of the Senate committee on education, arts and culture.

“Ginawa mong commercial objects yang batang yan. Sabi ko nga, kung ganun ang gagawin nila, tawagin na lang nating Commercial Athletic Association. Huwag na nating tawaging University Athletic  Association,”  she said.

(You are making these kids commercial objects. As I said, if they will do that  then let’s just call  it  Commercial Athletic Association.  Let’s not call it  University Athletic Association)

Asked how the students have become commercial objects , the senator said: “Oh come on. Seriously, mas mataas na hindi hamak ang binibigay na pera at I call it nga scholarship with benefits dun sa mga top level players.  Ang mga balita ko dyan meron pang house and lot, may kotse. Definitely, daig pa  nila ang manager.”

(Oh come on. Seriously, the money that they  give to  the top level players is definitely higher that’s why I call it scholarship with  benefits. I heard they even give a house and lot, and a car. Definitely, they are like managers.)

“These are the information we have. They are not going to admit it but in the US and other countries, documented talaga yung pwede mong ibigay o hindi…,” she added.

Asked if it was a violation of any law, Cayetano said: “Masama yun, ’di ba (That’s wrong right)? Are they violating anything? Yes of course, they are violating ethical standards. You don’t need a law to tell you that you are a member of a school association and you should be competing  on a level playing field in recruitment.”

“Tama ba yun na mag-offer kayo ng  ganun  and the others are not? I don’t think that’s right. Now whether masa-sanction sila, I don’t know their rules. Hindi nga nila nire-release yung rules nila so I don’t know what their rule is. But it’s not correct. We don’t need a law to tell you what it’s morally and ethically right or wrong,” she said.

(Is it right to offer those things  and the others are not?  I don’t think that’s right. Now whether they will be sanctioned or not, I don’t know their rules. They don’t even release their rules so I don’t know what their  rule is. But it’s not correct. We don’t need a law to tell you what it’s morally and ethically right or wrong.)

But in other countries, Cayetano said such action is being  penalized and the same could also be done in the Philippines.

She said if there’s an erring school, for example, the UAAP can impose sanctions on it by  not allowing them to participate  in any sport  for  one year.

“That’s the only way they can ensure that these schools which are participating in that kind of behavior will stop. Until then pataasan lang sila ng presyo, pataasan nang pataasan (The price will just go higher and higher) and that’s wrong,” said the senator.

“I have nothing  against people earning  money from sports. Nothing. I feel that sports is a great avenue for commercial activities, for economic boom. I promote that but not within the school, not as a student athlete,” she added.