PROTESTS seem to be trending in collegiate leagues these days.
After two UAAP teams filed protests over controversial endings in the last month, an NCAA squad in University of Perpetual Help is set to follow suit.
Perpetual Help management, particularly athletic director Moses Lozada, has signified the school's intention to put the Altas’ 71-74 loss to Mapua on Monday under protest, citing the numerous "non-calls" by the referees late in the game.
Altas coach Aric del Rosario and team captain Anthony Paulino signed the official score sheet signifying the team's intention to file a protest, but del Rosario readily made it clear that the decision was not his.
League commissioner Joe Lipa, however, said the school has yet to file a formal complaint.
Assistant coach Jonas Kintanar cited several instances where he claimed mistakes by the referees worked against the Altas during a game which saw the school's Nigerian player, Femi Babayemi, thrown out four minutes into the match for an elbow on Michael Abad.
"Lahat, first quarter pa lang questionable na ang mga tawag. Yung kay Femi (Babayemi) nakita namin sa replay wala naman, naka hands up para mag-box out tapos thrown out na agad. Tapos sa dying seconds nakahawak na kay (Earl) Thompson tinawag na jumpball tapos yung kay (Jett) Vidal sa shirt na nakahawak dapat technical na yun di lang ordinary foul. Kaya buong game na ang ipo-protest namin," said Kintanar.
Del Rosario said he was unhappy with the referees' calls but didn't endorse the decision to put the game under protest.
"Ako, ayoko mag protesta, yung official si Mr. Lozada ang may gusto," said del Rosario. "Ako, kung makapasok eh di papasok pag ayaw di wag."
But the veteran mentor added: "Nagalit ako syempre gusto ko nga sugurin yung commissioner. Ang daming tawag na mali. Loko-loko ba ako? Eh sa tagal ko ba sa basketball kung di mali magrereklamo ako? Nagpapakihirap kami sa ensayo ganun gagawin ng referee."
The Altas are now tied with Letran and Jose Rizal University for the third to fifth places going into the final stretch of the elminations.
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