HERE’S another twist to the plot.
After the bubble was burst, former University of Santo Tomas skipper CJ Cansino bared yesterday what the Growling Tigers endured in the team’s training camp at the hometown of coach Aldin Ayo in Capuy, Sorsogon City.
And amid allegations of violating the IATF’s health protocols, UST announced that Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) director Fr. Jannel Abogado, OP, resigned last Tuesday and is set to be replaced by Fr. Ermito de Sagon.
In a series of tweets posted on his twitter account @cjcansino, Cansino said “pinilit talaga ako ng mga tao na ilabas kung ano ang nangyari.”
UST players added their parents to the chat group created last Aug. 9 with Cansino opening their conversation by saying, “Good evening po, etong mababasa niyo po dito ay ‘yung mga concern namin sa nangyayari dito sa Sorsogon. I-inform lang po namin kayo sa nangyayari dito.”
After the addition of the parents of Cansino, Bryan Samudio, Bismarck Lina, Rhenz Abando, Ira Bataller, and Brent Paraiso, Cansino replied, “Please wala po muna kakausap kay Coach Aldin. Kami na po gagawa ng first move.”
The food given to the players were not enough and some of his former teammates were already getting sick, according to Cansino.
“Hindi po namin nagugustuhan ‘yung food dito at konti lang kasi kaya ‘yung iba sa amin, nag-oorder ng fast food,” said Cansino.
“Kaso ang problema nagkasakit yung iba sa amin (tapos) sa amin sinisisi kung bakit kami nagkakasakit. Pero sa tingin namin dahil sa luto nila dahil puro pork at mamantika.”
The mother of Joshua Fontanilla, a transferee from St. Clare College, asked Cansino what the illness was.
Paraiso said: “‘Yung binibigay na food sa amin, sobrang sakto lang po. Never po naging sobra ‘yung ulam na binibigay sa amin.”
Lina, Paraiso, and Bataller noted that the food supply was indeed not enough, and it was “oily.”
Added Bataller: “Sabi po sa amin ng nagluluto dito (mommy ni Tita Joy Ayo (Aldin’s wife) na bago pa kami pumunta dito, may sakit na daw kami.”
Paraiso said Ayo rarely joined them when they ate.
Reigning MVP Soulemane Chabi Yo was also disappointed with the treatment they got in the training bubble.
“For me even if I can go back to Manila now, I’m ready. But if not yet pa, basta uwi na tayo after two to three months maximum. Every one of us has food that we prefer to eat but here we just eat what they cook even if we don’t like it,” said the 6-foot-6 Chabi Yo.
“I’m trying to adjust but it’s difficult. I am homesick, very bored. We have poor signal and different routine from what we are used to. Not happy with this at all.”
Abando, the team’s star forward, also said no one took care of them when they were sick.“Stress po talaga dahil pag nakasakit po kami dito, wala pong nag-aalaga sa amin kung hindi katulong.”
Paul Manalang’s mother, Hazel, suggested that the players ask the helpers of the house to cook the food they want.
The younger Manalang replied to his mother and said team management insisted that the Tigers were not experiencing budget constraints despite the awful conditions they were already experiencing.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, through the Games and Amusements Board, Department of Health, Philippine Sports Commission, Commission on Higher Education met anew yesterday with the UAAP to discuss the internal probe by the fact-finding committee created by UST on the incident.
Ayo, who is still tightlipped on the Sorsogon bubble, and the team reportedly returned to Manila yesterday.
