NATIONAL University's women's volleyball team has been invited to air its side as the government cracks down on varsity teams accused of training in the middle of its fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Baham Mitra said that the Lady Bulldogs, whose training videos have surfaced online, have been asked to explain their side.
"Kasama na ang NU," Mitra said of the Wednesday meeting.
Footages of the Lady Bulldogs' trainings, both in the school's Sampaloc, Manila and Calamba, Laguna campuses, are making the rounds on social media, although some have since been deleted.
Spin.ph tried to reach NU Lady Bulldogs head coach Norman Miguel on the matter, but he said the school "would only release a statement if necessary."
The investigation will still focus on University of Santo Tomas' alleged 'bubble' in Sorsogon, where the Growling Tigers have been allegedly training for the past two months in breach of health protocols.
A body created by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Emerging Infectious Diseases already met with UAAP officials on Saturday. UST officials 'politely declined' to attend the meeting.
Aside from Mitra, also part of the group are Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) national training director Marc Velasco and Department of Health (DOH) representative Rodley Carza.
Meanwhile, the UAAP was represented by president Nonong Calanog of La Salle and executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag. Representatives from UST and NU are also invited to attend the Wednesday meeting.
Non-professional sports, especially collegiate and amateur teams aren't covered by the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) signed by the IATF which allowed professional teams in basketball, boxing and football to resume training in limited numbers and under strict health protocols.
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