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.

After reading a news report on the Philippines vs. India match (March 11, 2012), the Philippines vs. Tajikistan match scheduled on March 13, 2012, and a news report on how the members of the Philippine National Football Team (Men’s) focus on their scheduled games despite the sexual harassment complaint filed by CRISTINA RAMOS against Philippine team players LEXTON MOY and ANGEL GUIRADO, the following statements, among others, were uttered by your host ARNOLD CLAVIO, thus:

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]ung 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

Younghusbands lift Azkals to 4-0 triumph

Posted Yahoo Philippines
by Sid Ventura

Phil Younghusband scored two goals and helped set up a third, while brother James added another one as the Philippine Azkals whitewashed Nepal, 4-0, in their FIFA-sanctioned international friendly Tuesday night at the Rizal Football Stadium. A month and a day after their mother's untimely passing, the Younghusband brothers were in their element as they helped the Azkals dominate the Nepalese, ranked 31 places higher in the FIFA rankings, on both ends of the field.

"From now on all my games are dedicated to my mum and dad," Phil said. "They're looking down on us now. The fact that me and my brother scored makes it special for my mum."

Susan Younghusband died suddenly of a heart attack on September 10, while the Azkals were training in Bacolod. She would have been proud of her sons last night.

Phil first struck in the 17th minute with a shot from the right flank off a brilliant pass from Paul Mulders to give the Azkals an early 1-nil lead. Thirteen minutes later, James doubled the lead with a vicious strike from just outside the penalty box that found the back of the net in the far right corner of Nepal's goal.

Even before the Younghusbands' twin goals, the Azkals already had three excellent chances to score. In the fourth minute, Nepal keeper Ritesh Thapa failed to clear a cross from the right, leaving Ian Araneta with a good shot on goal. But the Nepal defense blocked the shot at the last minute. In the ninth, a good cross from James Younghusband found Chieffy Caligdong wide open on the left flank just yards from the goal, but the Air Force striker put too much behind his shot and the ball sailed wide over the crossbar. In the 15th, Araneta was again the recipient of a good cross from James Younghusband and only had Thapa to beat, but the Nepalese keeper was up to the task and foiled Araneta's attempt.

In the 12th minute, Sujai Shrestha had the best chance to get on the board for Nepal, his strike from the left just missing the post by inches. Other than that, the Azkals totally dominated the first half.

The second half saw the Nepalese, down 0-2, sending more men forward, but it was the Philippines that scored again when Phil recovered a deflected shot by Dennis Cagara inside the penalty box for a strike in the 54th minute that made it 3-nil.

Late substitute Matthew Hartmann made it 4-nil in the 89th minute after receiving a short pass from Phil near the top of the box and blasting home a shot to the left portion of the goal that Thapa just couldn't reach.

It was a good turnaround from the 0-2 defeat the Azkals suffered at the hands of Singapore last Friday, and for Coach Hans Michael Weiss, it was the result he had hoped for.

"In the meeting we had earlier on," Weiss said, "we sat together and discussed that we wanted to end this year with a bang, and have a clear answer to the people who weren't happy with our results. Offensive football in the first half [was] fantastic."

If Weiss was pleased, Nepal coach Graham Thomas could not contain his displeasure with his side's performance, which was marred by faulty passing and porous defense.

"We never turned up in the first minute," Thomas said. "I've never been ashamed of my team ever. And I was ashamed in the first half. We never passed the ball.

"The first goal, absolute disgrace. The captain gave up the ball. It's hard to take this. Their excuse will be we haven't played for three months. Well, I don't accept excuses."

But Thomas was also quick give credit to the Azkals, and admitted they were the better team.

"Tonight, I thought the Philippines were fantastic. They passed the ball well. I don't usually have a go at my team, but we never showed up tonight. But not to take any credit away from the Philippines. They were fantastic."

The Azkals will now take a break and resume training in January for the AFC Challenge Cup. With the progress made this year and a potentially loaded line-up in the works, 2012 promises to be an exciting one.

"I've been playing for the last six or seven years," Phil Younghusband said. "I think now we have players that complement each other. We have a team that can potentially be very good."

"If you can imagine (Stephan) Schrock, Manny Ott, (Angel) Guirado on this team, we can have a very, very bright future," Weiss said, referring to three quality players who were not around against Nepal.

The German coach added he hoped the players will get to stay in shape playing in the United Football League, which got underway last Saturday.

"After a minimal break, they should resume high-level training with our clubs," Weiss said. "With the UFL getting more professional, it will be good. If we now drop back with our efforts in training, it will not help us."

Weiss, meanwhile, will now shift his attention to the under-23 team that will be competing in next month's Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta. The team will be in Japan from October 24 to 31 for a mini-camp as they try to win a medal in football for the first time ever.

"We will go on the 31st to Indonesia due to early start of the football competition. It's important to get [the team] together as soon as possible."