Chief Justice predicts UST-Ateneo finale

MANILA, Philippines — Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta has made a fearless forecast ahead of the second stage of the UAAP stepladder semifinals – it’s UST versus Ateneo in the finals.

A Thomasian, the Chief Magistrate is convinced the Tigers will beat the UP Maroons in their  duel for the right to play the Eagles in the best-of-three finale.

Before concluding yesterday’s meeting with Justice beat reporters where he answered pressing issues concerning the Judiciary, Peralta shared his thoughts on the UAAP.

He made the bold prediction that the finals would be between UST and Ateneo.

“For the championship, it would be a fight between Ateneo and UST. Ang sabi ko lalampasuhin ang Ateneo. Now, if it would be against UST-University of the Philippines (UP), may be in the first half of the game we would already see UP losing,” said Peralta, a UST alumnus and professor.

The 26th Chief Justice of the High Court was a working student and graduated from the UST Faculty of Civil Law in 1979, and later taught at his alma mater.

Peralta believed the Maroons are no match for the Tigers, considering UST’s sweep of UP in two matches in the elims.

However, the Chief Magistrate is not discounting the possibility of UP becoming “lucky” to win the game.

“I think the Ateneans are praying that the Tigers will lose because the Ateneans are afraid of the Tigers. Even (Ateneo) Coach (Tab) Baldwin, during the first game, said that the UST is a dark horse,” he said.

Meanwhile, SC Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, who was previously the dean of the UP College of Law, tweeted: “I am confident that the true facts of this controversy will be proven without a shadow of the doubt within the next few days.#UPFight.”