#UAAPink: Rivals Ateneo and La Salle unite as crowd dons pink for Leni Robredo
Long-time UAAP rivals Ateneo Blue Eagles and La Salle Green Archers came together during the April 12 game at the Mall of Asia Arena as fans from both teams wore pink in support of the presidential campaign of Vice President Leni Robredo.
On April 11, university officials Father Bobby Yap and Brother Bernie encouraged students and alumni attending the game to don the campaign color instead of their usual school colors of blue and green.
Spectators in pink filled the MoA Arena on Tuesday, and as the game went underway, audience members chanted "Leni-Kiko" during half-time and the fourth quarter.
pink crowd cheering LENI KIKO during halftime 🥺💗💚 pic.twitter.com/8UgroNROTV
— jamie 🌷 💗 🎀 #LeniKiko2022 (@_jamiesanchez) April 12, 2022
Even players from the Ateneo Blue Eagles showed up at the venue wearing shades of pink.
Ateneo Blue Eagles #OBF #Mary4You
— Team AMDG (@TeamAMDG) April 12, 2022
📷 @SLAMonlineph pic.twitter.com/mFjBACa76k
The Blue Eagles took home the win, maintaining their spotless record in season 84 with a 75-68 triumph.
Following the two teams' footsteps, the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers also encouraged fans to wear pink for the second round of games as "a symbol of our quest for an honest government that will uplift the lives of Filipinos."
In solidarity with the rest of the UAAP universities fighting for good governance, we highly encourage the Thomasian community to wear pink in the 2nd round as a symbol of our quest for an honest government that will uplift the lives of the Filipino.#GoUSTe pic.twitter.com/nDX7kFbaw2
— Growling Tigers of UST (@tigersofUSTe) April 12, 2022
This isn't the first time UAAP schools have made a stand during the games. In 2016, Ateneo's Blue Babble Battalion protested late dictator and former president Ferdinand Marcos' burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani with a halftime performance where they wore black shirts spelling out "Not a Hero."