GMA News anchor Arnold Clavio’s comments regarding the sexual harassment issue the Philippine Azkals is facing has earned negative feedback from the football fans. The name of the newsman trended on the social networking site Twitter several times because netizens couldn’t stop saying negative remarks about him, calling him racist and changing his name to Arnold Crab-io, taking from the “crab mentality” that they say the Kapuso personality is showing.
The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) filed a formal complaint with the GMA Network against Arnold Clavio, demanding that the news anchor issue a written apology and that he be sanctioned appropriately by the network.
PFF’s letter of complaint below.
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
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