DRUG-TESTING is mandatory for all basketball players in the UAAP, but it is a one-time procedure done at the start of every season.
UAAP president Nilo Ocampo bared that the country's premier collegiate league has introduced the mandatory testing procedure in an effort to crack down on drug use among players.
The UAAP head, however, said the one-off procedure is only done prior to the start of the campaign and does not cover athletes from other sports outside the centerpiece event of basketball.
Calls for a more stringent testing policy have grown in the wake of the arrest on Tuesday of Far Eastern University starting center Anthony Hargrove and reserve Adam Mohammed for alleged marijuana possession.
The arrests happened four months before the start of the next UAAP season.
“May mandatory (drug testing) but only for basketball players and is done before the season,” Ocampo admitted.
Aside from the league-imposed drug-testing procedure, the UAAP chief said all schools have their own policies to crack down on drug use among their student athletes.
“Meron kaming mandatory drug testing sa league, and then all schools have them also,” Ocampo said.
Ocampo preferred not to comment on the Hargrove case in his capacity as league chief, saying the FEU slotman has yet to be charged or much less convicted of any crime.
“Of course, nakakagulat. Pero until proven guilty naman ‘yan. It’s hard to comment until we see the official police report,” Ocampo said.
FEU officials have yet to make an official statement regarding the incident but Ocampo believes the school will take proper action upon further investigation.
“I’m sure FEU will take care of it na hindi na dadaan sa board,” said Ocampo.
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