Pool chaos: UP swimmer competes, rival schools stage boycott
Mikee Bartolome made her debut for the University of the Philippines women’s team in the UAAP Season 76 swimming competition that got going on Thursday at the Trace Aquatics Center in Laguna, but her presence triggered a "boycott" from other schools.
A day after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 226 denied the respective motions for reconsideration filed by the league and the University of Santo Tomas against the Temporary Restraining Order that allowed her to suit up this season, Bartolome saw action in the 4x50m medley results and immediately helped the Fighting Maroons in record-breaking fashion.
With Bartolome teaming up with Joy Rodgers, Antoinette Aquino and Ana Nicole Tan, UP clocked in two minutes and 6.75 seconds, way ahead of lone rival Ateneo–composed of Maria Andrea Torres, Sandra Gojar, Jacquelyne Cruz and Ramona Datu–which finished at 2:13.90.
It was, indeed, an easy win for the Maroon lady tankers who are bidding for a fifth straight crown, with their UST and La Salle counterparts opting not to compete despite the fact they already submitted their line-ups in the pool event.
According to a league insider who spoke on the condition of anonymity Friday afternoon, there “are some member schools who had premeditated plans not to join in the pool events that Bartolome joined.”
“May ipinasa pa nga silang memo (memorandum) na ine-encourage ‘yung iba na i-boycott ‘yung events ni Mikee. Kaso wala namang pirma ng UAAP president (Fr. Max Rendon, CM, of host Adamson) kaya walang bsdid ‘yun. It’s a mere paper only,” said the insider.
The source also revealed the Board even instructed commissioner Richard Luna and organizer Ariel Juliano not to allow Bartolome to suit up but both insisted there is a TRO to be followed and respected.
“Kung hindi nila susundin yung TRO, siguradong mako-contempt of court sila,” added the source.
The source added that some parents of the affected swimmer were angered by the boycott, since they drove all the way to Laguna to watch their children swim only to be told of the boycott.
Bartolome’s dad speaks up
In a phone interview with Yahoo! Philippines Friday afternoon, Vic Bartolome disclosed how UST and La Salle demonstrated their “act of protest” against Mikee’s participation, even in the 200m backstroke competition earlier.
“Kahapon (Thursday) nag-alisan sila. Kanina, ‘yung UST Women’s team hindi na lumahok sa mga events. Tapos ‘yung La Salle, may pakulo pa. Kunwari naka-pwesto na tatalon tapos pag-putok ng starting gun, bigla na lang tumalikod tapos aalis,” he said.
The elder Bartolome also added Mikee has now been affected with the sorry development. “Bago pa lang siya lumangoy, umiiyak na sa akin si Mikee. Tapos tinanong niya ako, ‘Dad, bakit ganun ginagawa nila? Galit ba sila sa akin?’” he stated.
The elder Bartolome also verified what the league insider earlier shared, with Luna, a member of the Philippine Swimming Inc., and Juliano, who serves as UP’s Varsity Sports Office director, refusing to follow the “instruction from the UAAP Board.”
"A sad, sad day in Philippine sports"
Senator Pia Cayetano, who helped the Bartolomes to obtain a TRO, “condemned” the actions of some schools and the Board’s “brazen refusal to abide by the court rulings.”
In a letter sent to Yahoo! Philippines, Cayetano, a UP alumna, pointed out “there's nothing to gain from the boycott, except to send the message that the UAAP is too high and too proud to take orders from anyone, including from our honorable courts, even if they trample on the rights of student-athletes.”
"By preventing the student-athletes from openly competing and showcasing their talents, the UAAP leadership is proving that promoting the development of the student-athletes is not their priority. Instead they would prefer to create a culture of protectionism in support of their narrow institutional interests,” she added.
Cayetano, who saw action for UP in women's volleyball back in the 1980s, added that “sabotaging the swimming competitions will not resolve this issue. Now, not only Mikee but the rest of the student swimmers as well are suffering from the UAAP leadership's intransigence. This is a sad, sad day in Philippine sports."
