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The Snarling Tigers of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) went to that controversial bubble town of Sorsogon not to play primarily basketball, but to immerse themselves in farm life.
While on the bubble and on the farm, the Growling Tigers were able to win grants courtesy of UST head coach Aldin Ayo, who saw his players need some form of financial help due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The UST did not authorize the bubble but its Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) required a letter of consent and a resignation from the players and their parents or guardians, thus releasing the school from any responsibility.
These were just some of the revelations BusinessMirror drew from the “Investigation Report on Alleged IATF Violation by Coach Aldin Ayo” prepared by the Sorsogon City Police Chief dated September 23, 2020.
The police report cleared Ayo of any wrongdoing while holding the bubble for three months, prompting the Sorsogon Provincial Government to issue the former coach of the UST men’s basketball team its own authorization on what could have been violations of the health and safety guidelines established by the Inter Agency. Working group for the management of emerging infectious diseases.
“In view of the foregoing, all the factual and legal issues considered, the Office determines that Mr. Aldin Villadolid Ayo is not responsible for the violation of any health protocol in accordance with the EID-IATF health guidelines and the order local executive in the province of Sorsogon during the arrival and stay of the mentioned individual in the city of Sorsogon ”, said the police report in the document obtained by BusinessMirror.
Sergeant Major Jungie Vito prepared the report with Investigation Officer Major Pedro Jiménez verifying the document and the Chief of Police, Lieutenant Colonel Benito Dipad Jr., agreed.
The players sought the help of Ayo
AS UST insisted on conducting its own investigation after controversy broke out and plugged the result with only the Philippine University Athletic Association (UAAP) and the Joint Administrative Order Group (JAO) obtaining copies of the investigation, the Sorsogon city police. The investigation did not fall short in revealing the facts surrounding the problem that nearly wrecked the entire Growling Tigers team.
Police were tasked with evaluating, determining and determining if Ayo violated quarantine protocols, if there was basketball training in Sorsogon City specifically at Ayo’s farm in Barangay Capuy, and if there were administrative and criminal responsibilities committed by the former coach.
Police also seriously considered the UAAP investigation that resulted in the league indefinitely banning Ayo from all his games and activities for three reasons: first, Ayo brought the team to Sorsogon while quarantines were enforced; second, many of the players are under the age of 21; and third, the Growling Tigers, being a non-professional team, trained when the government did not allow them to do so, even in low-risk areas like Barangay Capuy.
During the early stages of the investigation, Ayo told police that he was inspired to hold the bubble after learning that some of his players were telling sad stories about their need to earn money to help their families cope with the crisis; players depended on assignments. as college athletes – to a father who asked his assistant coach, McJour Luib, (on May 20) “to bring his son [a player] because they don’t have much to feed their family, since he was relieved of his job as a family driver ”.
“His heart was touched, as a head coach he is like a father to them, he is very concerned about their safety, health and general well-being. So he envisioned a training camp for individual players who would want to come to Sorsogon where he could get them involved in farm work and training while they are not yet enrolled for the next delayed school year, ”the report says.
Ayo’s 42-year-old family owns a mahogany and rice farm and a pigsty that extends to Batangas in Barangay Capuy.
UST sets the conditions for the bubble
ALDIN AYO applied for UST’s permission for his plan, but was initially rejected. He persevered for a week and finally got the go-ahead from the IPEA director, Fr. Jannel Advocate under strict conditions that UST would not sanction, support or finance the activity and that the students “would be completely alone and it was purely voluntary.”
Additionally, P. Advocate required Ayo and his staff to submit a letter of consent from the players and their players and guardians with a waiver. This condition went viral after a gamer leaked the conditions on social media at the height of the controversy and Fr. Lawyer finally resigned from office; he was temporarily replaced by the former director, Fr. Ermito de Sagon until UST formally assigned Fr. Rodel Cansancio.
Ayo was found to have obtained all the necessary documents to transport her team to Sorsogon: Letters of Consent and Waivers, Barangay and Municipal Certifications, Negative Rapid Test or RT / PCR Results, and Travel Authorization from the Philippine National Police Office of the National Capital Region.
The Sorsogon City Health Office also welcomed Ayo and some of his players for the special training program that was to last three months, but it was marred with former team captain CJ Cansino resigning from the team and transferred to the University of the Philippines and four other players moved to De La Salle and Letran.
With all the documents and coordination in place, the team left for the city of Sorsogon in groups: Cansino and Soulmane ChabiYo on June 17; John Bismark Lina and Santos Bryan Santos on June 19; Joshua Fontanilla, Bryan Samudio and Rhenz Joseph Abando on June 24; and Brent Paraiso, Ira Spender Bataller, Paul Matthew Manalang and Adama Faye on June 28.
The largest group of six players — Aldave Dale Canoy, Arnold Dave Ando, Vince Petdeo Cuajao, Jonathan Ralph Gesalem, Mark Nonoy and Miguel Pangilinan — departed for Bicol on June 29.
The Sorsogon city government issued an acceptance certificate to the players twice, on June 26 and July 22, cementing the consent and participation of the local government unit in the Ayo program.
PLayer trips tagged as essential
AYO escaped possible infractions by claiming that its players followed protocols by classifying the trip to Sorsogon as essential because they intended to find work on the former coach’s farm.
“That, being involved in the agricultural industry, the IATF resolutions allow the actors involved to travel. In its [Ayo] on the farm, they proceeded to the farm participation and training, thus giving the players / trainees some assignments in addition to their [boarding] free accommodation and meals, ”the report adds.
The report, however, did not reveal how much the players got as allowances from Ayo.
The report also revealed that the players “learned important lessons from agribusinesses for livelihood programs. [they planted mahogany trees]”And that while they were waiting for the rice to ripen and they were not busy on the farm, the players” were able to make use of a basketball court that is enclosed within a living room in their [Ayo] house where the players had individual training and not team practice ”.
Citing general guidelines from the Joint Agreement Order group, a body commissioned by the IATFA to oversee sports during the pandemic and made up of representatives from the Philippine Sports Commission, the Board of Games and Amusement, and the Department of Health, police found no violation of sports protocols.
“The prohibition of non-professional contact sports does not find application in a place of residence … and that [players] He observed the necessary protocols imposed by the health offices at all times and for the duration of the players’ stay at his home and farm, there were no complaints from anyone in his barangay as well as in his city as well as in the Sorsogon province. from any violation of government quarantine protocols, ”the report says.
Quarantine, check. Protocols, check.
FROM observing a 14-day home quarantine to limiting the movement of players within the boundaries of the house where they were staying and the farm, the once embattled coach who won championships, first for Letran in the National Association of Collegiate Athletics and for De La Salle at UAAP, was released.
Police also noted that no one in the group was a person under surveillance, nor did anyone manifest symptoms of the virus for two weeks. The report advanced that group members underwent Covid-19 testing a week before traveling to Bicol and that their authority to travel from the Covid Shield Joint Task Force was in order.
“After careful evaluation and analysis of the evidence presented, there is a clear display of the legitimate activities carried out by former UST coach Aldin Ayo,” police said as part of their conclusion. “That the actions carried out … [is] according to the protocol and health guidelines [by the IATF]. “
Playing basketball, uncultivated, inside a home and not on a sports grounds, also saved Ayo from possible penalties.
“There was no basketball training for the UST authorized team held at the home of Mr. Aldin V. Ayo, nor were there any prohibited basketball activities performed by his guests outside of his residence and within the jurisdiction of the province of Sorsogon,” he concluded The report.
The coach is licensed, but what’s next for the Tigers?
ALDIN AYO may have been eliminated, at least by his home province of Sorsogon, but where, Grumpy Tigers?
The controversy could be the worst to hit the UAAP so far since De La Salle’s suspension in 2006 for fielding two ineligible players with the UST Tigers licking their wounds, wondering how they would fare with a gutted roster this season. 83 which was postponed for the first time. quarter of next year.
CJ Cansino moved to the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, his departure from UST was marked by a burned bridge connecting the leading scorer guard with his former coach.
Brent Paraiso and another certified scorer, Rhenz Abando, as well as Ira Bataller went to Letran, with Mark Nonoy and Vince Petjeo Cuajao transferred to De La Salle. New sophomore Jun Asunción, who was not mentioned in the bubble, opted for Mapua.
To date, UST has yet to name Ayo’s replacement, although the list of applicants has grown, including former Philippine Basketball Association Top Importer Sean Chambers, Thailand men’s national coach Chris Daleo, the Blackwater coach Aris Dimaunahan, former Kia coach Chris Gavina, ex-Tech Mentor of the Philippines Institute Potit de Vera, former UST top-level player Ed Cordero, former PBA player Gilbert Lao and current Piscataway Tech High School coach in New Jersey, Lenny Reyes.
As for Ayo, the authorization of the Governor of Sorsogon, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, could be the basis for a recommendation of the investigation of the Department of Justice on the bubble that, seen from another angle, spiced the closed sports community since the pandemic struck in March.
