The school’s board of trustees decided Tuesday to leave La Salle’s fate to the UAAP board which it has asked to make the final decision on whether the school should be suspended in all sports events in the coming season or to accept its request of taking a one-year leave of absence only in basketball.

"DLSU-Manila Board of Trustees, in its meeting, decided to leave the final decision to the UAAP Board," said La Salle Marketing Communications official Malou Caluma in a text message.

The university is expected to send the report to the board by the end of the week.

UAAP President Fr. Max Rendon C.M., when informed of this development, said they will come up with the decision once the ad hoc committee investigating the scandal submits its reports and recommendation.

"If they wanted us to decide, then we will do it as soon as possible," Rendon said. He said he was hopeful the investigation would be concluded this month.

The ad hoc committee, chaired by Fr. Ermito De Sagun O.P. of the University of Santo Tomas, had already finished its data gathering on La Salle cagers Mark Benitez and Tim Gatchalian who La Salle said had played for the Green Archers despite not having a high school diploma.

La Salle’s disclosure sent shockwaves in the country’s sports community, coming as it did at the height of the championship series between La Salle and Far Eastern University last year.

La Salle was forced to return the UAAP basketball championship trophy it won in 2004 as a result of this scandal.

Last month, La Salle told the UAAP Board that it was voluntarily taking a one-year leave of absence from basketball as a form of self-punishment. But the school reserved the right to play all other UAAP events. The board rejected the proposal.

League rules state that a member school must abandon all sporting events if it cannot participate in basketball and volleyball, the two compulsary sports for UAAP members.