ADAMSON coach Nash Racela on Tuesday shared his letter to the UAAP shortly after the Commissioner's Office released its fourth-quarter post-game report on the officiating in the Falcons' loss to Ateneo.
In the letter which Racela shared on Facebook - and later deleted - 'for better context and appreciation' in light of the league's decision to spare him a suspension following an 'apology,' the Falcons coach hardly sounded apologetic.
READ: Nash Racela spared of suspension after apologizing for officiating rant
Instead, Racela even raised one specific grievance in the said report — the UAAP ruling that the decision not to call a foul on Joseph Obasa's block on Ced Manzano with 26 seconds left in the final frame was correct.
"The moment I got hold of your post game report, the first and only thing I checked was the "Obasa block" on Manzano at the 00:26 mark of the 4th quarter. To be honest, I was hoping we would have the same comments about the incident," Racela said.
"But to my surprise, the comments says CNC (correct non-call) when in fact, there was a clear hit on the arm of Manzano and it was clear that Obasa never hit the ball.
"We were down one during that time and calling a foul on Obasa could've given us our only 2 (free throw) attempts of the quarter. I understand there's no guarantee that Manzano would've made his FTs but who knows what could have happened?" he added.
Racela also underscored how there are irreconcilable differences on coaches and the Commissioner's Office in terms of 'observations about the game' — one which he hopes to be resolved before Season 86 ends.
'I don't see any reason to apologize'
The Commissioner's Office said 'Coach Racela issued a formal apology, expressing regret for the mention of the UAAP in the interview' when the league announced that it was sparing the Adamson coach from any suspension.
However, the letter addressed to Commissioner Xavier Nunag and his deputy Maria Caterina Lopa, painted a different picture - a coach who stood firm on his criticism of the officiating in the controversial game.
"Having said this, I don't see any reason to apologize for the things I've said about how the game was officiated and for the emotions I've shared during that time," Racela said.
The only issue he apologized for was his 'mere mention' of the UAAP in the interview.
"If it will do us any good, I apologize for the mere mention of the UAAP in the interview. I guarantee that there was no malice intended, and there was no intention to cast doubt on the integrity of the league," he added.
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