PSC commish faces sexual harassment rap

This is not a blind item.

A 22-year-old janitress at the Teacher’s Camp in Baguio City has recently filed a sexual harassment complaint against Mike Barredo, a visually impaired commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission who, for almost half his life, has shown a great concern for the disabled.

The janitress (name withheld) recently filed the complaint before the Baguio City Police Office. She said the incident took place in the morning of June 8 while she was making up the room of the 48-year-old sports official who, despite his impairement, was named to the PSC board by President Arroyo in April last year.

The janitress, according to someone she had talked to, claimed that Barredo called her to his room at 9:45 a.m. and allegedly made sexual advances on her. Barredo was in Baguio then attending a seminar on Sports for the Disabled.

Barredo, however, yesterday denied any knowledge of the incident, saying he now has some people checking on the facts in the chilly summer capital. He said he has yet to receive a copy of the complaint.

"I found out (about it) only today. And I’m ready to face any charges because I’m not guilty of it," Barredo told mediamen.

The former goalkeeper of the La Salle football team who was also into track and field and volleyball in his younger and more active years said it’s quite impossible for him to have made sexual advances on the janitress identified only as Isabel.

"There are people assisting me because I cannot do some things on my own," said Barredo, who is expected to fully air his side in today’s PSA Forum at the Manila Pavilion where PSC chair Eric Buhain is the main guest.

It was not the first time that a PSC official faced a similar complaint. Almost 10 years ago, then commissioner Jun Castro was accused by a female member of the national diving team of sexual harassment. It was just one of the cases that led to a total revamp of the PSC board then under chairman Aparicio Mequi.