The exodus of players from the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers continues after a fifth player reportedly left the team on Tuesday.
Six-foot-two small forward Ferdinand Asuncion Jr. is said to have joined the Mapua Cardinals the other day.
Asuncion, who is supposed to be on his sophomore year, is one of three players who bid his alma mater goodbye over the weekend.
Last Sunday, Rhenz Abando, who is the the Growling Tigers’ third year shooting guard, made his farewell on Twitter and on Instagram. The third player was Ira Bataller.
Earlier, CJ Cansino and Brent Paraiso were among the first to go.
The exodus of players has left the Tigers with 11 still on their roster.
Asuncion, who did not join the Tigers when they trained in Capuy, Sorsogon, has reportedly joined the Mapua Cardinals.
Many players from the team have expressed their worries of the Growling Tigers getting sanctioned and suspended by authorities for their training camp in Sorsogon, at a time when physical activities are not yet allowed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases due to the spread of the coronavirus.
The departure of Abando, Bataller and Asuncion came less than 24 hours before the tripartite group of Philippine Sports Commission, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Games and Amusement Board is set to resume its inquiry on the Growling Tigers.
The government body is looking into safety and health protocol violations that may have occurred during the Growling Tigers’ alleged training bubble in Capuy, Sorsogon.
Officials involved in the tripartite group said no decisions will be rendered yet as UST officials, though the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, will just submit a report.
IPEA officials, through Fr. Ermito de Sagon, have forwarded their findings to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.
Since the internal probe got underway last week, three players have left, while and top sports official of the university, Fr. Jannel Abogado, quit his post.
Cansino has joined the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, while there is no confirmation yet on the transfer of Abando to the Letran camp and on the fate of Paraiso and Bataller.