CESAFI affirms rule changes

CEBU, Philippines - Here's a piece of good news and bad news to the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) member schools that have qualms with the amended rules and regulations of the league.

The good news is that the two-year residency rule will take effect in CESAFI this season, but those players who have already served a one-year residency last year will be allowed to see action.

The bad news is that the CESAFI Board, during a meeting last Monday night at Tin Gow Restaurant of Waterfront-Cebu City Hotel and Casino, has affirmed a controversial revision to the league's existing by-laws that phohibits cageplayers who have had a stint with the PBA D-League from participating in CESAFI-sanctioned tournaments.

Prior to the inclusion of the PBA D-League, one provision of the CESAFI rules states that 'player that has been paid in any professional league or semi-professional such as the PBA, PBL, and Liga Pilipinas is not eligible to play in any CESAFI tournament."

The Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras are the hardest hit by this decision as their latest catch in Chris Dumapig has suited up for the Cafe France Bakers in the 2012 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup.

Thus, the 6-foot-4 power forward from Dipolog City won't be able to don the Cobras' jersey when the CESAFI Season 13 takes off on July 28 at the Cebu Coliseum.

SWU has earlier filed an appeal concerning the matter, egging on the CESAFI Board headed by Rev. Fr. Enrico Peter Silab, OAR of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) to scrap such new rule as the PBA D-League is not, in any form or nature, a professional league.

SWU even obtained a letter from PBA commissioner Chito Salud verifying that 'the PBA D-League is not a professional league. It is composed of school-based and commercial teams alike, none of whom are professional teams."

But CESAFI commissioner Felix "Boy" O. Tiukinhoy, Jr. contended that the PBA D-League was conceptualized after the demise of the PBL and Liga Pilipinas that is why they make some changes in conformity with their existing rules.

"After the PBL and Liga Pilipinas have been dissolved, the PBA D-League was formed so it is rightful for us to make some revisions to our existing rules," said Tiukinhoy in an interview over the phone.

When sought for comment, SWU athletic director Ryan Aznar said, "We already know that our request would be turned down but we just tried our luck. We can't do nothing about it. We have to abide by the decision of the majority."

Meanwhile, Tiukinhoy said he will meet with the different coaches on June 27 with no confirmed venue to discuss the amended rules and regulations as well as tournament format. The screening of players will be done on July 11. - THE FREEMAN