The Philippine national football team left for Cambodia Monday for the first of a series of friendly matches which will be part of their preparation for the AFF Suzuki Cup later this year.
The Philippine Azkals will play Cambodia on Wednesday and Singapore on Friday. They will then face Laos on September 10.
The team left just days after it was announced that two of their players, Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado, have been cleared of the sexual harassment charges filed by match commissioner Cristy Ramos last March.
"We are quite happy that somehow, the Disciplinary Committee found no basis for the sexual harassment complaint," Azkals team manager Dan Palami said.
"Sexual harassment will not be tolerated in whatever form in whatever way. The management looked into the allegations seriously and promptly, and we cooperated with the investigation," he added.
"Everybody is quite happy that there's been a resolution to the case. Finally, 'yung mga dating nagbabatikos at least mapapalinawagan na sila na wala namang nangyaring sexual harassment."
Even so, suspensions were still handed out on some of the players as well as members of the team management.
Moy and Guirado were each handed a one-game ban, while James Younghusband, who was the team captain at the match, was also handed a one-game suspension.
Moy is currently in the United States and is looking for a club in Hong Kong, while Guirado is playing for a club in India. Both players did not make the trip with the Azkals because of their suspension.
Meanwhile, both Palami and Coach Hans Michael Weiss were given two-match suspensions, which came as a surprise to both.
"Sabi there's a failure of leadership kasi nangyari nga 'yung sitwasyon na 'yun," Palami said.
"We have reservations on the penalties, especially to the players and coaches who were never parties to the case, and whose sides were never heard," he said.
"Ang side lang na explained ay kay Angel Guirado at Lexton Moy. They should have filed the proper charges also, they should have asked for our statements regarding that."
Meanwhile, Weiss said he did not understand why he was meted out a suspension.
"I am more than surprised. I have difficulty understanding this decision... It will be very absurd to accept this decision," he said.
Palami said he has already filed a notice of appeal for his ban.
Younghusband, for his part, expressed his disappointment over the sanction but called it "a part of football."
"Obviously, I'm really disappointed with the decision but suspensions are a part of football and it's up to the players as a team to be professional and just move on and get on with playing," he said.
Palami is hopeful that the Philippine Football Federation's (PPF) Appeals Committee will overturn the sanction, but he said he will have no problem serving the suspension should it be upheld.
"If it sticks, I don't mind staying in the bleachers or wherever the fans are and cheer for the team," he said. "Pwede ka naman manood, so you'll be an ordinary spectator and I don't mind that." -- With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
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