UAAP BRACES FOR DRUG MENACE

GUARDING against controversies that might hound its member schools in the
future, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) will
conduct random drug tests on all its athletes and officials beginning this
season.

In the formal launching of the league's 66th season Monday at the ELJ
Building, Jose Capistrano Jr., athletic director of this year's host Ateneo
de Manila University, said the UAAP board has agreed to submit their
athletes, coaches and team officials to a random drug test in all 14 events
in the tournament.

Even if the move will cost the league a huge amount of money, Capistrano
said the decision was made with the full backing of the board after thorough
consultation during the summer to protect the UAAP's clean image.

No less than Dr. Raul Canlas, the top sports physician in the country and a
leading figure of his profession in the Asia Pacific, will head the drug
testing of more than 1,000 athletes and team officials in the league.

"But we have to finalize first the procedures before we implement it. We
have to hear the suggestions of Dr. Canlas on how the process will be done,"
said Capistrano who, along with members of the board, sat with the doctor
after the press conference.

Canlas, the director of the Philippine Center for Sports Medicine, was
invited by the UAAP board to attend the activity to shed light on the
matter, but an emergency operation at St. Luke's Hospital prevented him from
doing so.

Capistrano admitted it was a step driven by the storm experienced by
Philippine Basketball Association, which was criticized by some sectors
because of its alleged poor handling of its antidrug campaign a few months
back.

The PBA's antidrug campaign also started via random testing, which caught
three players using banned substances. Commissioner Noli Eala then required
all their players and team officials to take mandatory tests, which yielded
seven players and three team officials found positive of prohibited
substance.

While some UAAP athletes might find ways around random testing, a local
ordinance authored by La Salle head coach and Quezon City councilor Franz
Pumaren is soon to be passed that will back the UAAP's own antidrug program
but could also lead to confusion, as the former PBA player is identified
with a UAAP member school.

Pumaren, a councilor for Quezon City's third district, told Sports Times his
resolution will be approved in two weeks, which the city will immediately
implement.

"The scope of this ordinance is all athletes who are playing in the venues
found in Quezon City, and the tournament must be selling tickets. We will
require them to undergo two or three mandatory drug tests and if found
guilty, he or she must submit himself to at least six months of
rehabilitation program," said Pumaren.

The UAAP will be subjected to follow the ordinance as games in the men's and
juniors' divisions will be played at the Araneta Coliseum and Loyola Gym,
both found within the city.

Capistrano welcomed the idea but said the board has yet to tackle the
upcoming city ordinance. "We will bring it up in the next board meeting. As
of now, our objective is to draw the clear guidelines of our program."