Philippine Football Federation complaint letter to GMA7 on arnold clavio’s remarks on the Azkals

14 March 2012
GMA NETWORK, INC.
GMA Network Center
EDSA corner Timog Avenue
Quezon City
Attention: Mr. GILBERTO R. DUAVIT, JR.
President & COO

Re: RACIST, LIBELOUS & DISCRIMINATORY STATEMENTS OF GMA-7 TV HOST ARNOLD CLAVIO IN YOUR NEWS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS TV PROGRAM
“UNANG HIRIT” ON 13 MARCH 2012

Gentlemen:

The PHILIPPINE FOOTBALL FEDERATION (PFF) would like to lodge a formal complaint with your organization for the racist, discriminatory, libelous and malicious statements of your Program Host, ARNOLD CLAVIO and his other co-hosts, during the nationwide broadcast of your News & Public Affairs Program “Unang Hirit” last 13 March 2012.

arnold clavio

Host Rhea Santos – “Kailangan masampulan eh…”

Host Arnold Clavio – “Kaya talagang ano na. Aral na sa inyo yan, ang yayabang nyo akala nyo. Porke’t dinadagsa kayo ng mga fans, ang gugugwapo nyo eh.”

“Parang God’s gift to women”

“Alam mo lahat.. lahat nang… nakuwento nga ni Cristina at nang dalawa nyang kasama. Lahat ginawa para ipaalam na may babaeng papasok sa locker, ilang katok nga sila eh. Eh malapit na yung match eh. Kailangan ma-check na yung dalawang koponan. Eh nauna yung Philippine team bago yung Malaysian… na team.

“Ngayon nag-sorry para sa isa daw nilang kasamahan. Saan ka nakakita ng Azkal na may suso? Wala naman akong…. anong cup B? Maybe a cup B sa isang kasama?

“Palusot na lang…”

“Sana nag-sorry, sorry na lang talaga, di ba? Parang…”

“Hindi ko kayo ka-kultura. Kasi wala dito (pointing to his chest)…. at wala dito (pointing to his head)…”

“Hindi naman kayo Pilipino. Nagpapanggap lang kayong kayumanggi. Hindi kayo dito lumaki”…

“Mahirap yun….. Insensitive.”

“Para maging aral.”

“Congratulations. Kasi hiwalay naman ito sa ginagawa nilang pakikipaglaban. So, good luck din sa inyong susunod na laban para mapunta kayo sa Final 4 ha. Na bihira pong marating nang Pilipinas sa matagal na panahon.”

“Alam naman nila yung mga sexcapades nila sa isa’t isa eh, di ba? Sino ba nag-penicillin.. Alam naman nila yun.”

“Akala siguro lahat sila gusto silang matikman siguro… makasama…Diyos ko.”

Your TV Host ARNOLD CLAVIO’s declarations that the members of the Philippine Men’s National Football Team “are not Filipinos” and “are only pretending to be Filipinos” are not only libelous and defamatory to the good name and reputation of the PFF and the Filipino players comprising the Men’s National Team now playing with their hearts for “flag and country” at the AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu, Nepal. They are also verbal statements of a racist nature and constitute malicious, contemptuous, discriminatory and denigratory remarks concerning race and origin that offend the dignity of the Filipino players and Filipinos who are similarly situated.

ARNOLD CLAVIO has made those scathing and offensive remarks with reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of his statements. In association football, only citizens of the country can be a member of the Representative “A” Team of the country, i.e., its National Team. In making his scurrilous statements, CLAVIO made it appear that PFF has selected persons who are not Filipino citizens to be members of and play for the Philippine National Team. This subjects all Philippine National Teams (not only the Men’s National Team) to doubts by international organizations, spectators and opposing national teams as to the Filipino citizenship, and therefore eligibility, of the Philippine team players. It also puts the name and reputation of the Philippines and the PFF in disrepute. CLAVIO obviously does not know (and neither he nor your program staff did not care to check) that only Filipinos can play in the Philippine National Football Team. Indeed, weeks prior to any international tournament a country has to submit to the organizer a list of its National Team players with proof of their citizenship or nationality (e.g. passports).

The members of the Philippine National Team now playing in Nepal at the AFC Challenge Cup are Filipinos just like your Unang Hirit hosts Arnold Clavio, Rhea Santos, Connie Sison and Lyn Ching-Pascual. Some of the current members of the Philippine Men’s Football Team have either a Filipina mother or a Filipino father, thus qualifying them to be natural-born Filipino citizens. One can notice the obvious discomfort of even CLAVIO’s co-host Lyn Ching-Pascual when he confidently uttered the words “Hindi naman kayo Pilipino. Nagpapanggap lang kayong kayumanggi….”

ARNOLD CLAVIO also discriminates against the Philippine national team players who, for one reason or another, grew up or partly grew up outside the Philippines when he uttered the words “Hindi kayo dito lumaki”. This constitutes disparaging and demeaning remarks against Filipino children of Filipinos who are compelled by circumstances to work and live abroad with their children. His bias against Filipinos who grew up abroad is utterly shocking and is not expected to be blurted out by a TV host of your respected and reputable organization. Many Filipinos, including our own President Benigno S. Aquino, partly grew up abroad by force of circumstances. Are they less Filipino than those who grew up entirely in the Philippines?

ARNOLD CLAVIO is also guilty of sexist remarks and sex-related innuendo leveled against the Philippine National Team players when he uttered the words “Alam naman nila yung mga sexcapades nila sa isa’t isa eh, di ba? Sino ba nag-penicillin… Alam naman nila yun.”…..“ Akala siguro lahat sila gusto silang matikman siguro… makasama…Diyos ko.” Added to that statement was host Rhea Santos’ statement that “[y]*** mga babae…kasi porke guwapo… sikat… minsan halos itapon na nila yung mga sarili doon sa mga lalaki” that operate to demean and disparage Filipino women, in general, and the Filipino women supporters of the Philippine Men’s National Team. It must be noted that your Unang Hirit program caters to all age groups.

After uttering the above-stated libelous, racist and discriminatory remarks, and after obviously reading an idiot board or reminder from somebody (not covered by the camera), ARNOLD CLAVIO, congratulated the team and wished them luck during their next game so they could qualify for the semifinals of the Challenge Cup, a situation which CLAVIO himself admitted is seldom attained ‘”by the Philippines”. Nonetheless, the unquantifiable damage and injury to the PFF and the Philippine Men’s National Football Team has already been inflicted by the scurrilous and discriminatory words emanating from your TV host ARNOLD CLAVIO.

As you are aware, the matter of sexual harassment complaint by Cristina Ramos against Philippine players Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado is now pending before the PFF Disciplinary Committee which has primary jurisdiction over the complaint. While your organization may report news concerning the matter, we and the public expect that no racist, discriminatory, sexist, or disparaging remarks that offend the dignity of persons or organizations or maliciously defame persons or organizations are made by your hosts and reporters.

We thus lodge this complaint and protest with GMA NETWORK, INC. and demand that, (i) your organization impose, after requisite proceedings, the appropriate sanction on your TV host ARNOLD CLAVIO; (ii) your organization and/or ARNOLD CLAVIO rectify, among others, his discriminatory, racist and libelous assertions that members of the Philippine Men’s National Football Team are not Filipinos and are only pretending to be Filipinos; and, (iii) your organization and/or ARNOLD CLAVIO issue a written apology to the PFF and the Philippine Men’s National Football Team which should also be forthwith read and given prominence in your News & Public Affairs TV program, “Unang Hirit”.

We are thankful that in one way or another, your organization has helped in the promotion of football in the Philippines. We all know that encouraging the Filipino youth to engage in sports in general or play football in particular contributes to nation-building. We however strongly protest the previously cited statements of your Unang Hirit Hosts ARNOLD CLAVIO and RHEA SANTOS.
Very truly yours,

MARIANO V. ARANETA., JR.
President

EDWIN B. GASTANES
PFF Legal Counsel

—————

video of arnold clavio’s remarks:

history is made : Philippine Azkals turn into a scoring machine in win over Sri-Lanka

it was just a few months ago when the country knew almost nothing about this group called Philippines Azkals. when the country woke up to the power of the Azkals, it did not look back and stayed awake since then and its fans growing in number by the multitudes. 

that continued on yesterday when the Azkals beat Sri-Lanka in a most convincing and impressive fashion at 4-0. we almost fell asleep, worried even,  last week when they could only muster a 1-1 tie in Sri-Lanka.  yesterday’s game showed us a different team when the Azkals showed class, fineness and the tenacity of mad dogs going after it’s prey almost at the start of the bell.

the Azkals were relentless in their offense from the very start of the game. i would say the ball was on the half of the pitch on the Sri-Lankan side for a good 85% of the time. and during those moments the ball was on their opponent’s half, the Azkals attempted to kick a score almost every time they were there.

the Azkals that played yesterday looked like they were a completely different team from the one that played in Sri-Lanka last week.

• the offense  the Azkals executed last week was nowhere to be found. it just didn’t work.
• yesterday at the Rizal, the Azkals were nothing but an offensive team
• they passed the ball very well; they created openings for others; they communicated with each other very well and they had set patterns to execute that almost always worked flawlessly
• they also showed a lot of confidence in the plays. it did not look like this was a team who has not played together a lot. this time around, they seemed to know what the other was going to do and made opportunities for scoring and attack
• the defense was also excellent with the ball going to the Azkals side not as often and offensive dangers occurring even fewer times
• etheridge, the goal keeper worked less this time, showing just how great the defense was
• but of those times etheridge worked, he performed his job flawlessly as always. etheridge we think is clearly a great asset to the team
• the fact that those who scored yesterday are the same people who used to score before tells you the offensive machine is working very well and the team’s scorers are gaining much confidence on their skills and trust on their teammates

everything about the Azkals just worked perfectly. they did look like a team who has been playing together for many years. aside from the players, credit goes to the coach and his staff. they have obviously done their job in getting the team together. the couch’s effort and skill cannot be ignored. this coach knows his job and he planned this game brilliantly.

 the other equally important ingredient in yesterday’s win goes to the fans, the pinoys who were at the stands going crazy cheering the azkals on. a punishing rain poured on Rizal but the fans stayed on and did not let up in their cheers.  we only watched the game on TV but there was no moment during the game that we did not hear the fans cheering  the Azkals on. they reacted to every moment where we could have scored, made a mistake or did something right. eveything was noticed, even the smallest things.

we think the fans at Rizal made one hell of a difference in the way the Azkals played. football in the country was no linger a sport for the few meztizos and the rich. this was now a game every filipino enjoyed lustily for, for the players who practiced almost 24/7 hearing the fans go crazy in the stands translates into energy and determination among the players.

the azkals not only made its thousands of fans and pinoys happy in yesterday’s win, the team also made history for philippine football as for the first time the country has reached this stage in the qualifying games for the world cup. on that alone, the Azkals has achieved glory and they are already champions! for the pinoys.

philippine azkals demolish bangladesh 3-0, makes history, guirado scores 2, araneta 1

for awhile, we entertained doubts about the azkals bringing us to footba

angel guirado,center, an azkal hero

ll heaven.  they took us to paradise when they placed themselves in out consciousness, made a lot of us go crazy over them thengave us a large dose of hope. then the little atomic bombs that pulled us

down to earth.

we lost sleep and prayed harder as they played bangladesh today. it is a game that is now or never.

well, thy delivered – they beat bangladesh 3-0 and the azkals put the philippines at the gates of football heaven.

it did not help any of the tension and excitement we had going into the bangladesh game when we were told a certain angel guirado, a spanish-filipino is the last minute replacement for phil younghusband, a key striker of the team  who is on the injured list.

but guirado did not disappoint, in fact he was the hero in today’s game with 2 points to his name. so now we are no longer worried and in a celebratory mood. job well done, azkals. arf! arf!

Guirado stars as Azkals destroy Bangladesh in AFC Challenge Cup

Angel Guirado starred in the Philippine Azkals’ 3-0 dismantling of Bangladesh in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup on Friday at the Aung San Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

ian araneta scored 1 point

The Filipino-Spanish striker, one of the last-minute replacements for the injured Phil Younghusband, scored twice in the second half as the Azkals earned a much-needed three points in the group stages of the Challenge Cup.

Ian Araneta opened up the scoring for the Azkals when he found the back of the net in the 41st minute as the Philippine team took a 1-0 lead at the turn. – JVP/TJD, GMA News

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/216204/sports/araneta-guirado-give-phl-azkals-3-0-lead-vs-bangladesh-tigers%20

watch : Azkals destroy Bangladesh, advance to Challenge Cup finals | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features.