NASANGKOT na naman sa isang krontrobersya ang mga miyembro ng Azkals Philippine men’s football team.
Sa pagkakataong ito ay ang dating Philippine Olympic Committee President na si Cristina “Cristy” Ramos, anak ni dating Pangulong Fidel V. Ramos, ang nagreklamo ng sexual harassment laban sa mga Fil-foreigners na sina Lexton Moy at Angel Guirado.
Si Ramos, na dati ring presidente ng football federation ng bansa, ay sumulat sa chairman ng Asian Football Confederation disciplinary committee na si Lim Kia Tong para ireklamo ang dalawa.
Naganap ang insidente sa locker room ng Azkals ilang minuto bago pasimulan ang friendly match sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at Malaysia nitong Miyerkules sa Rizal Memorial Football Stadium sa Malate, Maynila.
Si Ramos ang nagsilbing Match Commissioner ng na-turang sagupaan na natapos sa 1-1 draw.
Bilang commissioner ay tungkulin ni Ramos na i-verify ang identification (accreditation) cards ng mga manlalaro ng magkabilang koponan bago mag-umpisa ang laban.
Sinabihan din ni Ramos ang magkabilang panig sa Team Managers’ Meeting na ginanap sa Discovery Suites sa Pasig City nitong Martes na papasok siya sa mga locker rooms ng mga manlalaro para sa isang inspeksyon.
“However, being a woman Match Commissioner doing a men’s match, I had to explain that I would give the teams sufficient warning and preparation time before I would come inside their changing rooms to do the team check together with the Fourth Official, Mr Wilfredo Bermejo,” ayon kay Ramos sa kanyang salaysay.
“Whenever I serve as the Match Commissioner, I always follow a standard procedure for the team check regardless of the type of match.”
Nang nagtungo aniya siya sa dugout ng Azkals kasama si Bermejo at ang kanyang liaison officer na si Joseph Gensaya ay kumatok aniya siya ng malakas.
Tumugon naman ang isang kinatawan ng Azkals at pinaghintay pa aniya sila ng ilang minuto bago pinapasok.
“We then waited for five minutes presuming that the team was getting ready for the team check,” sabi pa ni Ramos.
“When we entered the changing room of the Philippine team, I properly introduced ourselves and explained the procedure for the check. In spite of the introduction the players remained rowdy and noisy, apparently not taking the team check seriously and almost ignoring our presence.”
Nang isa-isa na niyang tinatawag ang mga miyembro ng koponan ay lumapit aniya sa kanya si Moy, na lumaki sa Estados Unidos, at sinabing “Must be a B cup.”
Nagtawanan aniya ang iba niyang mga kakampi.
“As I was the only female in the room, he was apparently referring to my bra size,” ayon kay Ramos.
Nang tinawag naman niya si Guirado, na ipinanganak sa Spain, ay humarap ito sa kanya na naka-briefs lamang.
“He stood in front of me purposely just wearing his briefs and made no attempts to wear shorts or cover his underwear.
Again, the players loudly laughed while I was checking this player,” ani Ramos na nagsilbi bilang POC president mula 1996 hanggang 1999.
“While all this was happening, none of the Philippine team officials present nor the team captain, James Joseph Younghusband (no. 7), made any attempts to discipline the players and tell them to behave properly.
In fact they were also laughing and seemed to be enjoying the revelry at my expense.”
Wala sa locker room sina Philippine team manager Dan Palami at head coach Hans Michael Weiss habang nangyayari ang insidente
“Having been a Match Commissioner for girls’, women’s, boys’ and men’s matches since 2003 at both AFC and FIFA levels, I have not experienced this crude and totally shameful behaviour from a national team anywhere before this incident,” dagdag pa ni Ramos.
“I truly regret and feel very ashamed that this disrespect comes from the national team of my country, the Philippines.
This kind of sexist and demeaning behaviour has no place in football, and should therefore be sanctioned.”
Kasalukuyan namang iniimbestigahan ng Philippine Football Federation ang reklamo ni Ramos.
The Azkals team ay umalis kahapon patungong Kathmandu, Nepal para sa 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.
Magugunitang nadawit ang apat na miyembro ng Azkals sa isang diumano’y insidente ng rape subalit hindi itinuloy ng modelong si Amanda Coling ang pagsampa ng demanda.
Kumalat din sa internet ang pagsangkot ng isa pang miyembro ng koponan na diumano’y inireklamo ng isang babaeng Indonesian habang lumalaban ang Philippine team sa Southeast Asian Games sa Indonesia nito lamang Disyembre.
— Eric Dimzon
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