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The dean of the College of Human Kinetics at the University of the Philippines, Francis Diaz, on Wednesday vehemently denied allegations that the university’s men’s basketball team violated quarantine protocol by holding a training bubble.
“Bright was a visitor to Coach Bo (Perasol). They went to a shooting drill. There were no other players there. IATF rules were not broken. We will provide all CCTV footage of what happened. We are not in the habit of breaking the rules, “Diaz told ESPN5.
“We don’t have to be technical about it. Basically UP follows the country’s rules,” added the UP BMD representative.
Díaz responded after sources revealed that the UP fighting maroons are now also under investigation after the University of Santo Tomás and the National University, also accused of organizing a training session in the middle of the confinement.
Sources revealed that the Maroons will now also be a topic at the UAAP Board of Directors (BMD) meeting on Thursday, along with the Growling Tigers and the Lady Bulldogs volleyball team.
Furthermore, the same sources said that the BMD has been provided copies of the alleged training session in question, which allegedly took place in Silang, Cavite at the end of July.
The province of Cavite was placed under general community quarantine in the time frame, having been under GCQ from June 1 to August 3 before returning to the modified enhanced community quarantine.
Perasol confirmed that there was target practice on a range near his home during that time, but it only involved him and graduate center Bright Akhuetie on Aug. 1.
“We had target practice on our court, but it was just between Bright and me,” Perasol explained. “That was the time that Bright came to stay and sleep with us. My nephew and I were with him so someone could pick up the rebounds from Bright’s shots,” he added.
The incident could be the one the league referred to in its Sept. 1 statement on other incidents that are being investigated.
According to the joint administrative order issued last July, it is established that training is allowed as an individual shooting practice within the limits of the home as long as there is no physical contact between the participants, as long as there are facilities available.
