UAAP board relents, lets Cani play for Eagles

Ateneo’s Hubert Cani gets the chance to strut his stuff as the UAAP board gave the prized recruit Tuesday the go signal to play this season.

League secretary Ronnie Dizer said officials decided “to uphold the spirit” of Republic Act No. 10676 — also known as the “Student-Athletes Protection Act” —which includes the scrapping of the two-year residency rule.

“The UAAP board decided to uphold the spirit of the law, so Cani and others affected by the rule are now free from the bondage of the two-year residency rule,” Dizer said.

The UAAP board had initially declared Cani ineligible to play this season, but last week, President Aquino signed into law the measure that dissolves the controversial residency rule.

Cani, who already sat out for one year with the Eagles, was a former Philippine youth team member and National University juniors standout.

The two-year residency rule—first invoked when Far Eastern University juniors star Jerie Pingoy moved to Ateneo two years ago—had required UAAP high school players who transferred to another member-school for college to sit out for two years.

“They will be the point guards we’ll be relying on this season,” Ateneo coach Bo Perasol said of Cani and Pingoy.