On March 3, Cristy Ramos, daughter of former president Fidel V. Ramos and match commissioner for the Federation Internationale de Football Association, wrote a letter of complaint to Lim Kia Tong, chairman of the Asian Football Confederation, to report sexual harassment supposedly done by two Azkals players, Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado.
[To read about the complaint against Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado, click here]
The two Azkals players in question tweeted their reactions on the issue.
Guirado, who doesn't speak English, tweeted in Spanish on his official Twitter account, @12_guirado, on March 7. He later re-tweeted another user's English translation of his words. In it, he is quoted as saying, "First of all, I was in short pants, and even if I was in briefs only, I'm in a locker room changing clothes for play. They have to ask for permission before coming in, and if you come in, be aware of all the consequences, but from that, to tell me that [it] is sexual harassment, that's a big word, and the press should ask me about it before publishing anything."
He also posted a subsequent Spanish tweet on March 8. PEP.ph reports that in the Tweet, Guirado thanked his supporters. He also reiterated that football was his passion. "While I am able to continue playing and fighting for it, and neither anyone nor anything is going to impede me. I did not disrespect anyone and more importantly not a woman."
Moy said on his Twitter account, @LextonMoy, "It deeply saddens me to hear about the very serious allegation. This sensitive situation will be addressed professionally and respectfully."
Azkals team captain Aly Borromeo supported his teammates in an interview with ABS-CBN News. "Being part of the team and being the captain of the Azkals, we don't condone sexual harassment at all," he said. "Like I said, with Alex's words and Angel's, who can't speak a word of English, there was no harm intended to Cristy Ramos."
Meanwhile, Ramos is still fixing the supporting documents for the complaint she is filing with the Philippine Football Federation Disciplinary Committee, PEP.ph reports. She also said the Azkals were old enough to know how to behave during inspections. "They're not 13-year-old kids; they're not five-year-old kids. They're in their early 20s, [or] mid-20s, you know, maybe some of the players are a bit older. So they should be mature enough to know what is proper behavior."
For more on this issue, check this out on FN:
For more on sexual harassment, try these:
- 6 Things Every Woman Should Know about Date Rape
- How to Deal with Sexual Harassment
- Cubicle Coach: How to Deal with Harassment in the Workplace
(Photos courtesy of PEP.ph)
