PLAYERS RESORT TO CAYETANO ACT

Players hoping to transfer to UV ask for protection of Cayetano Act after UC refuses to release their credentials

Former University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters players Geleant Delator and Melvin Botohan are seeking the protection of Sen. Pia Cayetano’s Student-Athlete Protection Act after UC allegedly refused to release their credentials when they decided to transfer to the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers camp.

In the letter their lawyer sent to UC, Delator and Botohan asked for the release of their Transcript of Records (TOR) and other documents that were put on hold.

“When I went to UC METC to get my TOR, the registrar told me that there was a hold order for its release. The reason was absence without leave (Awol). So, with the help of a lawyer, we will seek its release,” Delator told SunStar Cebu.

But according to the dean of the UC College of Law and the school’s executive vice chancellor, he already ordered the release of the TORs because it is already a violation under Republic Act 10676 or the Student-Athlete Protection Act.

“The letter of the lawyer was referred to me, so I told Atty. (Augusto) Go that we cannot hold the records (of Delator and Botohan) under the Cayetano Law. So I ordered the release of their TORs,” Atty. Baldomero Estenzo told SunStar Cebu.

This same law was used as basis by former UV players June Kent Manzo and Leonard Santillan, who also wanted the release of their papers when they left UV for the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in the UAAP.

Delator, who played his rookie year last season with UC, admitted that he did not inform their head coach Raul Alcoseba when he jumped ship to UV right after the St. Bernard tournament.

Delator claimed that he was traumatized by the tongue-lashing he received from the fiery mentor after he committed a crucial error during the game between UC and the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers in a St. Bernard, Southern Leyte tournament last month.

“Gitawagan man pod ko ni coach (Mike) Reyes aron adto paduwaon sa Southwestern (University), pero diri ko giganahan sa UV kay ang mga players nasuod na bitaw nako – like nilang (Rey) Suerte, ( Joshue) Segumpan, (Monic) Soliva), (Tristan) Albina. Unya welcome ra pod kaayo ko nila. Ako lang pod gitan-aw ba kon unsa unya akong performance sa Cesafi kon sa UC lang gihapon ko moduwa. Basin mauwawan lang unya ko, kay dili na ko maka diskarte og tarong kay mahadlok naman kong kasab-an ni coach Yayoy,” Delator added.

SunStar Cebu tried to get the comments of Alcoseba through text message, but the multi-titled basketball coach did not reply.

With the new rulings of Cesafi that transferees no longer need to serve a one-year residency if they can secure a release paper from their previous school, Delator and Botohan are hoping they could suit up with the Green Lancers on Aug. 5.