CHED confirms UST, NU held training outside NCR; to issue show cause order

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Monday said it will issue show cause orders to National University and University of Santo Tomas regarding the alleged breach of protocols

In a joint virtual press conference with representatives from the Department of Health, Philippine Sports Commission, and the Games and Amusement Board, CHED chair Popoy de Vera said NU and UST will have to explain why they should not be sanctioned.

De Vera said CHED has also completed its fact-finding report on the alleged violations of the two universities and has submitted the report to the Inter-Agency Task Force, Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for proper actions.

"Based on the letter response of UST and also the explanations of the sports director of NU, it is clear that there was really a training done in Sorsogon involving UST basketball players," said De Vera.

"On the part of NU, they admitted in the discussion that their students went to a training facility outside Metro Manila," he continued. "After the lockdown was imposed, not all of them were able to go home and some of them stayed in the dormitory of the university."

Despite this confirmation, De Vera said that it does not necessarily mean the two teams have committed violations.

"It is too early to conclude because what has been completed is only the fact-finding portion," he said when asked if UST was guilty of breaching quarantine guidelines.

"There may be travel restrictions or local ordinances in the areas they went to which may have been violated. That is up now to the DOJ and the DILG to look into because that is outside to the mandate of the commission," he said.

Reports on the "Sorsogon bubble" held by the UST men's basketball team surfaced after the sudden exit of former team captain CJ Cansino.

Similar allegations have been directed towards NU for alleged training by their volleyball players amid the community quarantine. —MGP, GMA News