Host school can help eliminate ticket scalpers in UAAP games

MANILA, Philippines – La Salle coach Franz Pumaren believes ticket scalpers in the collegiate leagues can be eliminated if the host school helps in the accounting of tickets being distributed to member schools and to the public. Pumaren, a councilor in the third district of Quezon City, said he believes that a combination of a local ordinance and an all-out support from the top two collegiate leagues will help solve the perennial problem especially in big games. Scalpers always had a field day in big collegiate games especially when archrivals La Salle and Ateneo faces each other in the UAAP. Interestingly, the Green Archers and the Blue Eagles will be playing in the UAAP Finals starting Sunday but tickets for the whole duration of the best-of-three series are reportedly sold out as early as last week. Scalpers, however, manage to get tickets where the usual price for an upper box seat of P250 increases to P6,000 or more. Pumaren was the one who crafted the City Ordinance against scalping in Quezon City and while law enforcement agencies have managed to apprehend scalpers plying their route at the Araneta Coliseum, the illegal trade continues to exist using the latest technology. “Syndicates know their way around and they have become innovative. They are now using the latest technology like selling tickets through text or emails. The scalpers are now based in the different universities," said Pumaren. To solve the problem, Pumaren is batting for more accountability on the host school, which is in-charge in distributing tickets to other UAAP member universities. “The host school can help by listing the number of tickets being given to different member schools It would be better if the names of those who received the bunch of tickets be listed so they can trace where the tickets bought by scalpers comes from," added Pumaren. The idea may be done next year but Pumaren guarantees that local enforcement agencies of Quezon City will be in full force to catch scalpers who will be selling tickets around the Araneta Coliseum for the UAAP series. – GMANews.TV