UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas has confirmed former Ateneo guard Forthsky Padrigao's move to the Tigers.
READ: After leaving Ateneo, Padrigao to play for UST Tigers
"Siya ang lumapit sa amin and he said he wants to have a second chance after everything that has happened to him," Fr. Rodel Cansancio, OP, the school's athletic director, said.
"We're a Catholic school and who are we to judge someone who wants reparation?"
Padrigao, who left Ateneo just weeks after being declared ineligible due to academic problems, is already enrolled in the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) and has attended practices of the Growling Tigers, Cansancio added.
According to the school, Padrigao has sought guidance counselling and even asked to participate in the school's outreach programs as a way for him to share what he learned through the slew of controversies that he found himself embroiled in.
"Siya mismo ang nag-effort para i-prove na pinagsisisihan niya yung mga nagawa niya at gusto niyang ipakita na natuto na siya sa mga pagkakamali na yun. Ang UST naman is there to help him reform his ways especially since he's still a kid who needs guidance," said Cansancio.
Padrigao has two more years of eligibility
Padrigao was the runner-up in the UAAP Season 86 MVP race. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 steals to earn his place in the Mythical Team and helped the Blue Eagles claim the men’s basketball championship.
The former national youth team member from Zamboanga can still play two more years with the Growling Tigers starting UAAP Season 87, but will still have to prove himself to coach Pido Jarencio.
But for Cansancio, what matters most is for Padrigao to get his life back together before he can redeem himself on the basketball court.
"Obviously, he's a talented player, but if he really wants to atone for his past mistakes, UST will be there to help him in this journey," he said.
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