Perpetual Help to appeal its cagers’ case to NCAA

Perpetual Help to appeal its cagers’ case to NCAA

by rick olivares

Officials from the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD) will be making a second appeal to the National Collegiate Athletic Association regarding two of its athletes who were judged ineligible to play “indefinitely.”

Marlon Gomez, transferred from Philippine Christian University (PCU) to Jose Rizal University while Paul Nuilan, originally enrolled in Far Eastern University (FEU) before deciding to move to the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Only the two never completed their enrollment and instead decided to move to UPHSD where they underwent the mandatory one-year residency rule before they could play. Or so they thought.

Following the suspension of PCU from NCAA play, then-JRU head coach Ariel Vanguardia recruited him to transfer and play for the Heavy Bombers. According Vanguardia, Gomez only signed a waiver form that came with a stipulation that should he be unable to pass all his papers to the JRU registrar, his enrollment would be declared null and void. In a conversation with Vanguardia again yesterday, he went on record to say that he is willing to testify that Gomez never enrolled at all.

On a tip by Vanguardia, I was able to obtain a copy of the JRU Waiver Form 7 where it stated that the failure to submit transcript of records on time specified, the enrollment at Jose Rizal University should be invalidated.

Perpetual Help submitted Gomez’ grades from 2009-10 and argued that he did not mislead anyone and he had completed his one-year residency as prescribed by NAA rules.

It is the NCAA’s contention that Gomez violated rules for enrolling in two different schools at the same time.

In a conversation with JRU ManCom representative Paul Supan last Friday, July 16, 2010 at the San Juan Arena, he said that JRU has presented all the necessary documents pertaining to Gomez’ enrollment with the Shaw Boulevard-based school. “The ManCom and Policy Board have already ruled on this. The best person to make a comment about this is the Management Committee Chairman (Frank Gusi of San Sebastian). We have rules and we have procedures.”

With regards to Paul Nuilan, he transferred from FEU to Letran. He submitted a promissory note to Letran where he stated that he would submit all his documents from FEU that will complete the transfer. What he only submitted from FEU were the Certificate of Good Moral Character and Copy of Grades. Perpetual Help argued that it is not sufficient for him to complete his enrollment in Letran because that did not include the Certificate of Eligibility to Transfer. Nuilan only acquired that document on May 4, 2009 as approved by Registrar Grace C. Sipin.

When I checked Letran’s website www.letran.edu, in the section regarding transferees, the requirements for admission are: Transcript of Records or True Copy of Grades (for evaluation purposes), Honorable Dismissal, Certificate of Good Moral Character, photocopy of birth certificate, and two pieces of 2x2 pictures that are in color, recent, and identical.

By December 2008, and two months into the second semester of School Year 2008-09, Nuilan stopped going to classes because his papers had not arrived.

In the Official Transcript of Record from FEU, it is stated: “This transcript is good for: University of Perpetual Help Rizal Las Piñas City issued transfer credentials.”

Perpetual Help submitted Nuilan’s grades for School Year 2009-10 as proof of his enrollment and one year of residency.

UPHSD school and athletics officials met yesterday afternoon to plan on sending another appeal to the NCAA. Summed up Altas head coach Boris Aldeguer: “I think based on Vanguardia’s statement regarding the matter of Gomez’ grades, NCAA officials looked into it. They cannot say that it is sour graping by a coach who was replaced. This is about integrity here.”