THE UAAP board is ready to drop the controversial two-year residency rule for transferees in favor of a more stringent law that can put a stop to the pirating of top players, a source told Spin.ph on Wednesday.
The source said there is a growing sentiment among school heads to drop the two-year residency rule on high school graduates transferring from one member school to another that has made the school a target of criticism from lawmakers and the fans.
In its place, the UAAP is now looking at passing new rules that will address the perceived 'commercialization' of the collegiate league and the outlandish perks given to some top players to entice them to switch schools, the source added.
The new rules could be passed as early as Wednesday during the league’s regular board meeting.
“New rules will be passed to address piracy and commercialization,” said a UAAP source who refused to be named when asked about what will transpire in the board meeting.
The contentious rule was passed before the start of Season 76 requiring incoming first-year athletes that had transferred from a different UAAP member school to undergo a two-year residency if the athlete fails to secure a release from his former school.
The rule, with got five votes from the eight member schools, created a lot of controversy with the issue even reaching the halls of the Senate with Pia Cayetano holding an inquiry into the matter.
Cayetano had since passed Senate Bill 2266 or the Magna Carta for Student Athletes that protects them from "unscrupulous practices" by collegiate leagues including the imposition of a two-year residency rule for transferring high school graduates.
One of the athletes affected by the two-year residency rule was basketball player Jerie Pingoy, who moved to Ateneo in 2013 after suiting up for Far Eastern University.
Pingoy is now entering the second year of his two-year residency rule, but the two-time UAAP juniors MVP could finally play for the Blue Eagles in the coming Season 77 if the rule is dropped.
Swimmer Anna Bartolome was also affected by the rule after she moved from University of Santo Tomas in high school to University of the Philippines for college. Bartolome even took the UAAP to court and was able to secure a Temporary Restraining Order with the help of Cayetano.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
