Sexual harassment case vs 2 Azkals players hurts team

By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

KATHMANDU�With two of its players hounded by allegations of sexual harrasment, the Azkals� buildup for the AFC Challenge Cup was thrown off track by the controversy, team manager Dan Palami admitted Friday.

�The players concerned are quite bothered,� Palami said just before the Azkals faced defending champion North Korea here.

�I mean they know their family members are hurt by this incident. What bothers the team is that they did a normal thing.�

Palami said the case filed by match commissioner Cristy Ramos before the Asian Football Confederation against Lexton Moy and Fil-Spanish Angel Guirado could have been a simple case of �misimpression.�

�It (the controversy) has caught everybody by surprise,� Palami said.

�What hurts more is that people already assume that it�s true and that (Ramos) had been harassed. I think it was actually a misimpression of what she heard in the dressing room.�

Based on his own investigation, Palami said the players were joking among themselves when Ramos heard what she claimed was a query over her bra size from Moy.

Guirado, the manager said, was actually wearing shorts, not underwear, during the inspection.

�Now that I have been able to talk to everybody in the team, it strengthens my conviction that this is all but a major misunderstanding,� Palami said.

�There was actually a conversation among the players prior to (Ramos�) arrival. The players were consistent with their assertion. Angel Guirado was actually wearing shorts. When she (Ramos) entered (the Azkals� locker), the players were in various states of undress, just like in any other locker room.�

Palami added: �They (players) were talking among themselves. There was a comment made by Denis Wolf about the flatness of Carli�s (De Murga) chest, to which Lexton Moy replied, �Just because you are Cup B you say that to Carli, or something to that effect. Denis and Carli even hugged each other. It was all a joke.�

The manager lamented that some quarters have already made conclusions about the incident even before the investigation could end.

�All I�m saying is that, the players have submitted to the (investigation) process,� Palami said. �What�s wrong with waiting for the result? Will the incident change if you talk to the media now.�

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