Covid task force probes UST’s ‘Sorsogon bubble’
The National Task Force for Covid-19 is investigating what could be a breach of health protocols by the men’s basketball team of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) after it held practice sessions in Sorsogon.
The UST Growling Tigers found themselves in the center of controversy after a video and several photos circulated on social media last Friday, showing the team practicing with coach Aldin Ayo in his hometown of Sorsogon.
Only professional basketball players and boxers are allowed to train during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) lockdown.
The incident quickly earned the name “Sorsogon bubble,” a take on the practice adopted by sporting leagues and teams to hold games in an isolated and Covid-sanitized place without any audience.
On Monday, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the National Task Force would conduct its own inquiry into the Sorsogon bubble
The UST administration has launched its own inquiry.
Roque said Malacañang hopes the school would be transparent in its investigation.
“Malacañang believes that being the pontifical university, the administration of UST will uphold its moral [duty to] society by telling the public the truth behind its allegations,” he told The Manila Times in an exclusive phone interview.
“We expect nothing less from the pontifical university because, after all, as religious leaders, we treat them to uphold what is right from what is wrong,” added Roque, who also hopes that the Archbishop of Manila will not take the matter lightly since a Catholic school is involved.
“We hope that no less than the archbishop of Manila will ensure the truth will be known and sanctions will be imposed on the school officials,” he said without specifying the possible sanctions that might be imposed on the people involved.
“Because this is in connection with the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines), we hope that all the teams will observe sportsmanlike conduct and [will] instill the necessary values on all athletes and our young people,” reminded Roque.
A joint task force composed of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and the Department of Health (DoH) is also probing the incident.
While the PSC, the GAB and the DoH were tasked by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to create the joint administrative order to form guidelines for the conduct of nonprofessional and professional sports, the three government agencies, along with the UAAP, were unaware of the “Sorsogon bubble.”
Ayo has kept mum on the issue, admitting only that he is “cooperating with UST” in the investigation.
The controversy grew even bigger after news came out that one of UST’s star players, CJ Cansino, has transferred to the Fighting Maroons of the University of the Philippines after being cut by the Growling Tigers.
A waiver by the parents of the UST players, addressed to Institute of Physical Education and Athletics Director Fr. Jannel Abogado last June 2, also surfaced on social media, acknowledging to the school that they were voluntarily allowing their son to join the training in Sorsogon and affirming that given any untoward incident, would not hold UST liable.
This was a UST requirement because based on the IATF-EID omnibus code, any person below 21 years old shall be required to remain in their residence at all times, and the collegiate varsity team also had student athletes below that age.
Source: TheManila Times
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