Coach charged for child abuse

CEBU, Philippines - The family of a student of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu has filed a complaint against the assistant coach of the school’s Pasarelle Basketball team who has allegedly been “verbally abusing” the child.

The family’s legal counsel, Inocencio dela Cerna, in an interview with TV5 Cebu, said that the parents decided to file a complaint against Ias Thaddeus “Sai” Bacalso before the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office for child abuse considering that the assistant coach’s actions have resulted to psychological concerns to their child.

Dela Cerna said that they also hope that through filing a complaint, other possible victims of the assistant coach would come out in the open.

According to Dela Cerna, the child did not tell his parents that he was being verbally abused in front of his teammates and other people because he wanted to be part of the basketball team.

The said concerns were also noted by the parents in a letter they sent to the school’s management. According to the letter, which The FREEMAN was able to get hold of from a reliable source, the parents of the student specified certain instances when they said Bacalso reportedly embarrassed not just their son but other members of the basketball team.

“What sort of ‘teacher’ curses a student in front of other students? If these children were enrolled in a school to learn, say, offensive language and actions, then I wouldn’t mind. But Ateneo de Cebu is not that kind of school,” the letter read.

Dela Cerna told the media that the insults have reportedly been going on for years which resulted to the student’s psychological concerns.

According to Dela Cerna, the student’s years of experience at being “verbally abused” has resulted to him shaking at the mere sight of a basketball.

“It’s just very unfortunate na wala mahibaw-i dayun,” said Dela Cerna.

He said that the student is now undergoing a psychological evaluation at the Pink Room of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center and is also set to meet with a private psychologist.

The boy, now 15, said he joined the team in 2009. He was Grade 4 at that time and was about 10 years old.

During their training, he said Bacalso, who is the conditioning coach, let them perform basketball drills. Bacalso allegedly uttered “profanities and expletives” at them when they could not do the drills out of exhaustion.

He added there was one instance that Bacalso ordered him to take off his shirt and when he took it off, the latter called him a pig in front of the whole basketball team. He said he felt “ashamed, downhearted and embarrassed.”

He said through Grades 5 and 6 and eve in high school Bacalso never stopped verbally abusing him including his teammates.

“He would hurl invectives and insults me and I was very scared and intimidated by his acts and humiliating words. Cuss words like bogo (moron), bayot (gay) were uttered even at my slightest infraction,” the complaint-affidavit read.

During a game in Dumaguete City, he said Bacalso shouted at him “bayot ka” (you’re gay) in front of not only his teammates but also the crowed who were watching the game. The crowd allegedly laughed at him.

He also said if there was any incident involving the team Bacalso allegedly blamed it on him.

Because of the alleged insults, verbal abuse and psychological attacks on him, he said his parents pulled him out of the team.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)