No mercy for Ilad

SPORTING CHANCE By Joaquin M. Henson
The Philippine Star
Thursday, September 20, 2007

La Salle cager Brian Ilad played four years for the Philippine College of Criminology (PCCr) before becoming a Green Archer in the UAAP this season.

Ilad is playing in his first and only year for La Salle. There won’t be another chance for Ilad to wear the green and white because his stint with PCCr was counted in determining his five-year UAAP eligibility.

Last May, Ilad was suspended twice during the Fr. Martin Cup, gaining a rough houser’s reputation. He punched Jervy Cruz in a game against University of Santo Tomas (UST) and figured in another skirmish against Lyceum.

When La Salle played the University of the East (UE) last week, Ilad was involved in another unsportsmanlike incident. Coming off the bench, he punched Mark Fampulme in the back of the head during a lull in the game.

UAAP commissioner Ed Cordero recommended a sit-out of two games because of the gravity of the offense. Under FIBA rules, the infraction carries an automatic one-game suspension.

However, the UAAP Technical Committee, made up of representatives of the schools in the league, junked Cordero’s recommendation and put a rope around Ilad’s neck. The Technical Committee’s recommendation to the UAAP Board of Trustees was to suspend Ilad for five games in addition to the automatic one-game penalty.

The Board approved the Technical Committee’s recommendation, which for all intents and purposes, sent Ilad to the gallows.

Why five games and not six or seven or whatever? My guess is the Technical Committee computed the possible maximum number of games La Salle might play until the end of the season. After beating Ateneo last Tuesday, La Salle could play as many as five more games.

The Archers will take a twice-to-beat advantage against the winner of Sunday’s Ateneo-UST knockout showdown in the pre-finals so that could go two games. If La Salle survives, the Archers play UE in the best-of-three finals, which if it goes the full route, will mean three more games for a total of five.

La Salle’s Board representative, Bro. Bernie Oca, described the penalty on Ilad as “too severe.” Bro. Bernie said he is exploring the possibility of appealing the sentence. He had proposed a compromise of a three-game suspension, instead of five, but it was denied.

The Board argued that the penalty was consistent with what was meted out former La Salle assistant team manager Manny Salgado for hitting Far Eastern University star Arwind Santos in the nape during a melee on the floor a few years ago. Salgado was banned for life from participating in any UAAP activity. Since Ilad is playing out his UAAP eligibility, the penalty is effectively a ban for life.

Probably because of Ilad’s bad boy reputation, the Board was merciless in handing out the penalty without giving the player a chance for remorse.

In Cordero’s recommendation, he asked for Ilad to make a public apology, which the player did. The apology got Ilad nowhere.

The Board’s decision to sit out Ilad for the rest of the season (and his UAAP career) struck down Cordero’s recommendation with a mighty blow. As Commissioner, Cordero is supposed to serve as an independent overseer of the tournament. It’s within his purview to suspend players because of their actuations on the court since he is the supervisor of games.

Neither the Technical Committee nor the Board can claim the independence that the Commissioner has. Since the Technical Committee and the Board are composed of representatives of the different schools in the league, they are involved parties, meaning they have vested interests.

This is not to cast doubt on the intentions of the Technical Committee or the Board but surely, there are three teams represented in both bodies that would benefit from Ilad’s suspension for five more games.

Ilad, by the way, is averaging 4.2 points and 4.6 rebounds. He scored in double figures once in a game against the University of the Philippines and posted twin digits in rebounds twice.