UE Lady Warriors coach Jerry Yee.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — University of the East coach Jerry Yee rued the timing of his UAAP suspension after the letter was only coursed through the office of school president Zosimo Battad on Friday afternoon.
The UAAP suspended Yee for the remainder of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.
“Well, I think it’s uncalled for and there’s like no due process. I mean, they didn’t even get my side about this. I was surprised too,” a dismayed Yee told reporters outside the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday as he was not allowed to enter the playing venue.
“I found out about it Friday afternoon. So probably, it’s a strategy or what. So Friday afternoon and well basically the day was about to be over as well as office hours so an appeal would be made probably Monday. Coach [Rod] Roque mentioned to me last time.”
“There was mention about this a few weeks ago before the UAAP started that the university was trying to push for something like this. And then they had to heed to UAAP board of trustees and everything so we thought there was no basis or it wouldn’t hold any ground so, anyway, it’s here and we’re already in this situation,” he added.
The league on Sunday announced its decision to suspend Yee just hours before the UE-Adamson game, following a complaint raised by a member school against him on account of conduct violative of the purposes of the UAAP — a platform for Member Universities to foster camaraderie and fair play.
The UAAP said Yee “retains the ability to train the UE Lady Warriors and coach the team in non-UAAP events” and the suspension will not impact the team’s record (1-2).
UE will file an appeal on Monday. UE assistant coach Dr. Obet Vital will take charge while Yee is out.
Jerry Yee.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
The veteran mentor said the grounds by the league to suspend him were “very vague and uncalled for” after the UAAP Board of Trustees (BOT) concurred with the Board of Managing Directors (BMD) findings that Yee had engaged in acts inconsistent with the league’s objectives — maintaining a close-knit relationship among its eight member schools through healthy competition and demands the highest ethical and professional standards from those expected to mold the student-athletes.
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“Nothing. Communications were sent to the president and then the president would relay down to coach Roque and then coach Roque would be the one to explain to me and I wasn’t sure what the details were really about,” Yee said. “Hopefully, we just want our side to be heard because we have no idea what really transpired. I decision was made and there were words or allegations and if someone will ask me or give me an audience, I think I can speak up.”
He signed with Adamson last July 1, 2022 and coached the team in Season 85, where the Lady Falcons finished bronze. He signed as Farm Fresh coach in the PVL last June 7, a day before Adamson released a statement about his termination.
Yee, who joined UE on June 21 and coached three matches this season, said it’s unfortunate that this career decision “has been met with vitriol at the late-onset, borne out of vindictiveness ironically from an institution that prides itself in instilling Catholic virtues and teachings.”
Yee explained his departure as Adamson coach was a mutual decision with the school, saying he met with the school officials and its main sponsor March last year Akari “to discuss the issue where the sponsor conveyed that it wasn’t happy and that it will be hard to continue with our arrangements.”
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“In fact, I even offered to handle the Adamson team for another season without the additional compensation from the sponsor, but both the school and Akari stated that it wouldn’t be possible,” said Yee. “I met again with Adamson and Akari around the first week of June 2023 to discuss a mutual termination of agreement, and thereafter on June 7, 2023, the school issued a “statement of release” effectively terminating my services as head coach of the Lady Falcons. While focusing on my teams in the NCAA and the PVL, UE approached and offered me a head coaching job which I accepted on June 21, 2023.”
Despite his suspension, Yee promised to continue developing the Lady Warriors, believing his players led by star rookie Casiey Dongallo, have prepared for this situation.
“We were somehow prepared in case a situation like this happened. So we’re just going to continue to play and practice,” said Yee.
The league representatives politely declined to issue further clarifications on the exact nature of Yee’s offenses out of respect for his incoming appeal.
“An intent to file an appeal having been expressed, we deem it best to address matters in the proper forum, in fairness to all concerned,” said the league.