THEY’RE FREE TO GO

GULLAS

UV team manager Samsam Gullas says he has no problem with departure of key players

Former University of the Visayas (UV) standouts Jun Manzo and Leonard Santillan are free to join the University of the Philippines (UP) Maroons as they please.

This was the sentiment of UV team manager and Cebu first district Representative Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas who finally broke his silence on the matter in a statement released to the media on Tuesday afternoon.

Gullas cited the Republic Act No. 10676, more popularly known as the “Student-Athletes Protection Act,” of which he is a proponent as his reasons for ultimately letting the duo move on from the Green Lancer camp to the Diliman-based campus.

“Let it be known that the departure of Manzo and Santillan is protected under the Republic Act NO. 10676. I am a co-author of this law in the House of Representatives. Under this law, student-athletes may freely transfer from one school to another without burdens and restraints. Mr. Manzo and Mr. Santillan enjoy the benefits of this law and I make it clear that the University of the Visayas wishes them the best of luck,” said the young solon.

“When I was working in Congress, I was only guided by national interest and the benefit of all Filipino student-athletes even if it did not correlate with my vested personal interest as team manager of the University of the Visayas Green Lancers.”

“No development fees will be negotiated or paid. None whatsoever. They are free to go,” emphatically said Gullas.

With the departure of Manzo and Santillan made final, Gullas grew pensive and reflected on the tandem’s time with UV, which resulted in a finals appearance last year. They were supposed to form the core of a formidable squad bent on completing their unfinished business last year. Alas, Manzo and Santillan had other plans during the offseason and left the team without the school’s blessings.

LACK OF COURTESY

“I am happy that the University of the Visayas has given basketball players Manzo and Santillan the kind of intensive training that developed them to become marquee players. They started in UV as Passerelle players and now are vital cogs in our collegiate program. Coach Gary (Cortes), employing the program used by the Green Lancers, honed their talents to become key figures in the Green Lancers’ system such that in due time, Manzo and Santillan became the object of the eyes of some basketball coaches in the country, including Bo Perasol of the University of the Philippines.”

However, the youthful sportsman and politician chastised UP management – Perasol in particular – for failing to offer UV the courtesy of letting him and his team know that his players were interested in transferring to the Maroons.

“Mr. (Bo) Perasol claimed that Manzo and Santillan just appeared during a practice of UP Maroons without any invitation. However, we in UV, believe that elementary courtesy, which lies as the bedrock of all sports, would have prodded Mr. Perasol to inform us that our players were joining them. We are saddened that sometimes sportsmen lose their sense of courtesy.”