THE UAAP board upheld its decision declaring University of the Philippines Integrated School’s Jozhua General ineligible for this season.
The decision was made during an emergency board meeting on Tuesday to discuss the appeal made by UPIS.
The board maintained that General has exceeded the five-year window for high school players starting from the year of graduation from elementary.
The league also said that General's 2008 graduation from a Naga school in Grade Six was the starting point of the window and not his Grade Seven graduation from Lourdes High School in Grade Seven in 2010.
“The UAAP Board of Trustees upheld its decision to declare Mr. General as ineligible to play starting UAAP Season 76, for exceeding the allowed maximum years in high school reckoned from the earliest date of graduation from elementary,” said UAAP president Fr. Max Rendon of host Adamson in the letter.
The UAAP also upheld its decision to forfeit UPIS’ lone victory in the season against Adamson in quadruple overtime last July 14.
UPIS coach Allan Gregorio slammed UAAP’s decision to declare General ineligible, noting that his ward had been allowed by the eligibility committee to play at the start of the season.
“It’s a sad, sad, power-tripping decision,” Gregorio said when the decision was made. “DepEd (Department of Education) na ang nagsabi na kailangang respetuhin natin ang Grade Seven, which really helped him survive UP education.”
The UAAP board member who requested not to speak on behalf of the league clarified that they have no problem with a student graduating either in Grade Six, Grade Seven, or even both. However, the first graduation will be the basis for the five-year window in high school.
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