PFF asserts jurisdiction over case involving Cristy

BY BONG PEDRALVEZ


HILIPPINE Football Federation president Mariano Araneta Jr. yesterday said the PFF is asserting its jurisdiction over the case involving match commissioner Cristy Ramos and national players Angel Guirado and Lexton Moy, whom she accused of sexual harassment before the Philippine-Malaysia friendly match last Feb. 29 at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

"I formally wrote the Asian Football Confederation last Tuesday to notify it the PFF is assuming its jurisdiction over the case by citing Section 1 and articles 70 and 71 of the AFC Disciplinary Code on organization and structure of matches not organized but sanctioned by the AFC," Araneta said. "The case is now with the PFF Disciplinary Committee."

Araneta pointed out that under article 70 "with regards to matches and competitions not organized by the AFC, member associations…. are responsible for enforcing sanctions imposed against infringements committed in their area of jurisdiction. If requested, the sanctions passed may be extended to have effect on the confederation level."

Under article 71, he added: "Any disciplinary action to be taken at friendly matches between two representative teams from different member associations is a responsibility of that member association to which the sanctioned player belongs."

The same article requires the member association to inform the AFC of the sanctions imposed on erring players, Araneta said.

Ramos, a FIFA and AFC match commissioner since 2003, filed a complaint last week with the AFC, alleging she was offended when Moy alluded to the size of her bra while Guirado approached her in his underwear during a routine pre-match inspection inside the Azkals’ locker room.

"This is why we informed Ms. Ramos during our meeting last Friday with national team manager Dan Palami and general secretary Rolly Tulay that we were elevating her complaint to the PFF disciplinary committee," Araneta said, "because this is the proper forum to address the problem."

He said the disciplinary committee, headed by lawyer Eric Ingles, and the appeals committee led by former Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, "are the two autonomous judicial bodies of the PFF where matters like these are deliberated upon and decisions are made."

The football chief said this was the same process used on national under-23 team skipper Matthew Hartmann, who was banned by the PFF indefinitely from all competitions after bolting last year’s Southeast Asian Games over a spat with German coach Michael Weiss.

Malaya