Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
University of Santo Tomas coach Boy Sablan cried foul on allegations thrown against him by forward Mario Bonleon.
In a short chat with INQUIRER.net, the mentor denied his player’s accusations but opted not to expound on his statement as he would rather focus on the Growling Tigers’ buildup for the upcoming UAAP Season 80.
“As much as possible, I’d rather stay silent on the issue. The truth will eventually come out,” he said in Filipino.
READ: Bonleon says speaking up against Sablan was ‘God’s will’
Sablan has been a prime target of critics following his dismal first year with UST in Season 79, where the Growling Tigers finished at a lowly eighth place with their 3-11 record.
He has missed UST’s last two games in the 2017 Filoil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup as he recovers from a gall bladder surgery last May 12.
A source who is part of the team, though, leapt to Sablan’s defense, saying the mentor is enjoying the support of school and its priests.
READ: UST’s Bonleon could be out for season with injured hand
He also claimed that Bonleon stopped attending practices since he injured his left hand three games into his sophomore season where he averaged a measly 4.6 points.
The source added that the coaching staff kept the door open for Bonleon once he recovered, but the team never heard from him again even as he played a game for AMA Online Education in the 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup.
Another source thinks that all of this is a part of a smear job on Sablan.