FOR fielding an ineligible player in its junior basketball team last season, Philippine Christian University was suspended from participating in all events of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s 83rd season.

NCAA policy board chief Dr. Vincent Fabella of 83rd season host Jose Rizal University said the board voted unanimously after a special meeting at the school’s campus in Mandaluyong.

This means that PCU cannot participate in all events of the season, which starts in June with the basketball games.

Fabella said both the inquiry of NCAA management committee and PCU’s own internal probe came out with the conclusion that there was indeed identity-switching.

“The policy board considered the findings as a grave violation of the core objectives of the NCAA,” said Fabella in a statement.

Fabella added that the policy board also upheld the recommendations by the management committee that the Baby Dolphins forfeit all their games, return their second-place trophy, together with individual awards, and ban the player involved from future participation in the NCAA.

“The board wishes to stress that all member-schools of the NCAA have much to learn from this experience and that the board decision should not be interpreted as singling out PCU. The board believes that institutional responsibility is important in the NCAA, hence its decision,” said Fabella.

The stiff sanction came after officials of Philippine Christian University did not provide more information about the identity-switching controversy, which has rocked the school over the last two months.

School authorities, led by athletics director Fred Olano, were supposed to forward more information based on the results of their own internal probe and recommendations on the case during two important meetings over the last three weeks. But Olano excused himself from the deliberations of the NCAA management committee, and instead asked for more time to look into the issue.

Olano’s no-show at the mancom’s meeting reportedly disappointed high-ranking NCAA officials, who said PCU only has until Friday to submit their final report. Peter Atencio