Unfair to Cristy

It took the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) disciplinary committee six months to decide what to do with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) match commissioner Cristy Ramos’ complaint of sexual harassment against Azkal players Angel Guirado and Lexton Moy. When the decision was finally handed down, there were penalties meted out on individuals not cited by Ramos.

Curiously, Ramos never filed a complaint to the PFF. She went straight to AFC disciplinary committee chairman Lim Kia Tong. But while the complaint was made before the AFC, PFF president Nonong Araneta said the local organization had jurisdiction over the case. “The AFC agreed with our position on the matter of jurisdiction,” Araneta told The STAR yesterday.

Considering the six-month period, the PFF certainly took its sweet time acting on the issue. Deliberating for half a year on such a clear case of absence of malice smacks of a lackadaisical attitude. It’s unfair to Ramos, a former POC president. She deserved a prompt reaction, whether favorable or not. To keep her in suspense for six months was unjust. The PFF disciplinary committee itself should be sanctioned for dragging its feet in deciding on Ramos’ complaint.

At least, the PFF disciplinary committee headed by Enrico Ingles was right in clearing Guirado and Moy of sexual harassment charges. Ramos accused Guirado and Moy of “sexist and demeaning behavior” when she faced them in the lockerroom before the Azkals’ game against Malaysia at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last Feb. 29. Ramos alleged that Guirado wore only briefs and Moy spoke about her bra size in her presence. She interpreted their behavior as sexual harassment.

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Ramos’ accusation was publicized in the popular Spanish sports newspaper “Marca” which trumpeted the news of Guirado’s “sexual harassment” in a two-layer headline. “Marca” took an interest in Guirado’s case because he was born in Spain and is half-Spanish. Guirado’s parents in Spain were in anguish after reading the newspaper story. His Filipina mother broke down in tears. Guirado later claimed he wore his No. 12 playing shorts without a shirt when Ramos called on him to confirm his attendance. He denied wearing only briefs as Ramos insisted. As for Moy, he said he was teasing a teammate for his pectoral muscles and swore he made no reference to Ramos’ bra size. There seemed to be misinterpretation on both counts.

After the match, Ramos never mentioned the lockerroom incident to Azkal team manager Dan Palami. Ramos filed the complaint when the Azkals were abroad playing Nepal and never gave the accused players a chance to explain themselves in a face-to-face confrontation.

A week ago, the PFF disciplinary committee slapped one-game suspensions on Guirado and Moy. It also suspended team captain James Younghusband a game for the “breakdown in discipline” in the lockerroom on the basis of command responsibility. Assistant coach Edzel Bracamonte took a one-game suspension for “failure of leadership” since he was in the lockerroom. Player Denis Wolf was reprimanded presumably for joking around with Moy in Ramos’ presence while Palami and coach Michael Weiss were levied two-game suspensions for “failure of leadership.” Palami and Weiss were not in the lockerroom when Ramos visited as they were at the pitch inspecting playing conditions.

Younghusband, Bracamonte, Wolf, Palami and Weiss were included in the sentence even as they were never charged by Ramos. Obviously, the PFF disciplinary committee made its own investigation and determined culpability. Was this a case of overkill or trying to show the AFC that the PFF has teeth to bite at the expense of innocent parties? The assumption is the PFF disciplinary committee sanctioned Younghusband, Bracamonte and Wolf for not showing respect to Ramos and Palami and Weiss for their absence in the lockerroom. You wonder if that is substantive basis for suspension.

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Now comes the ironic twist. After the PFF disciplinary committee had the audacity to report on its long overdue decision, another PFF body – the appeals committee – has suspended the suspensions of Weiss, Palami and Younghusband to allow their participation in the Azkals’ game against Cambodia the other day. A hearing has been set on Sept. 14 to take up the case of the suspended suspensions. It is not known if Weiss, Palami and Younghusband appealed their suspensions or if the appeals committee did it in their behalf considering all three were in Cambodia. Whatever the circumstances, the PFF is in a laughable situation for announcing the suspensions then backtracking.

This case has been blown out of proportion not by media but by the PFF itself. Ramos’ complaint had no basis in the first place and should’ve been ignored or dismissed right off the bat. She deserved a prompt reaction, not a six-month wait for a decision that was later partially recalled on appeal. Note that Ramos was promised an independent investigation by the PFF last March 1. In announcing its decision, the PFF disciplinary committee spoke of failure of leadership. The PFF should prove there is none at its end.