Bo Perasol slapped with one-game ban for fan incident

By Paolo Mariano Posted Sep 4th 2013

The UAAP Board meted a one-game suspension on Ateneo de Manila University head coach Bo Perasol for charging at a fan after their heated game against De La Salle University at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.

“Our mission vision is to promote the highest level of sportsmanship. We want to be consistent on that. We want all the players, the coaches, and officials to observe that behavior,” said UAAP secretary treasurer Malou Isip.

The one-game ban was a unanimous decision for the six remaining team members of the Board, with Ateneo and La Salle expectedly inhibiting from the deliberation.

The Board, which held the emergency meeting on Wednesday, based its verdict on the incident reports filed by the teams and the venue security.

“The concern of the UAAP is to show the public that we don’t condone this kind of behavior,” said University of Santo Tomas (UST) board member Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P. “People have seen the incident on news programs, on the Internet, so we really have to make a stand.”

Perasol, who’s in his first season with the Blue Eagles, will miss their crucial game against University of the East (UE) on Sunday.

The said fan, on the other hand, identified as JJ Atayde, cousin of La Salle board member Henry Atayde, was banned from watching all basketball events for the remainder of the season. He heckled Perasol and reportedly hurled invectives as well.  

“We have banned persons who heckle or cuss at the officials. So to be fair, we just want to penalize him (Atayde) so similar incidents won’t happen again,” said Isip.

Ateneo and La Salle can appeal the decision within two days but the rival schools found the Board’s judgment fair.

“We just have to accept it, that’s the Board already,” said Ateneo representative Ricky Palou.

“The Board is just being consistent,” said La Salle’s Atayde. “Besides, as early as Monday, my cousin already volunteered not to attend any more games this season.”  

Both Perasol and Atayde have already apologized for their actions.  

The Blue Eagles mentor is the second coach to receive a suspension this season after National University assistant coach Vic Ycasiano, who was penalized for threatening to elbow UE’s Charles Mammie in the fourth quarter of their first round meeting.

Atayde, meanwhile, suffered the same fate as former Far Eastern University big man Pippo Noundou, who was banned earlier this season after a near scuffle with UST’s Karim Abdul last July 21.