Florence Subido An Appeal to UAAP Board July 24, 2013 Dear Honorable Board Members of UAAP, I would like to tell you a story about a boy from Naga City… my son Jozhua Macdaniel P. General. His love for basketball started as soon as learned to walk. He used to play ball in his crib and cannot sleep without a basketball beside him. He learned how to shoot and dribble when he was two years old and no matter how much his father trained him in tennis, he was never diverted from his passion. Knowing his potential to play basketball and the big possibility of growing tall, I supported him when he joined Naga City’s basketball programs and Milo Best Clinic. He always earned MVP honors in his age bracket. I also brought him to Manila for more training and exposure in Kidzhoops during summers. He was then recognized by Coach Nic Jorge and invited him to join Milo Best boys’ team to Las Vegas in April 2008 in which I solicited financial support from friends and relatives. When he was still in grade school, he used to shine in school intramurals. At age 10, he was chosen to represent his school and join the Naga City Elementary Basketball team which eventually became a champion in Palarong Bikol in 2007. The following year, as team captain of Naga Parochial School, they became the Naga City and Bicol champion in 2008. April of 2008 just before the Palarong Pambansa in Palawan, my son joined Milo Best Boys Basketball 13 under and place second in Las Vegas, USA. A feat seldom achieved according to Coach Nic. He played well in the tournament and was scouted by Coach Britt Reroma of San Beda Red Cubs then. After the Palarong Pambansa in Palawan, we visited San Beda in Manila Campus and Jozh decided to try it out and stayed in the quarters under the care of Coach Reroma. Jozh enjoyed his stay and did not show any sign of missing our home. I visited him every weekend in San Beda all the way from Naga City to check him. The following school year, he enrolled in San Beda Taytay as first year high school along with Basser Amer (SBC) and Alfonso Gotladera (DLSU) who were enrolled then as second year high school. He stayed in an apartment along with Dave Moralde (SBC) and two aunties as guardians. I visited him every weekend to make sure he was just doing fine since this was the first time he separated from us and he was only 12 years old. He was doing good and happy in his stay in San Beda Taytay. He travelled along with other players on the way to SBC Manila to stay and train over the weekends. Sometimes I just meet him in SBC Manila Campus and help him in his assignments there. Leo Pujante was their coach in San Beda. Sometimes I watched their practice and I can say that it was at a different level. One exercise they did was to leap using only one leg up and down the bleachers in SBC gym. That was a very dangerous exercise for boys at that tender age if they made a mistake. They were made to do “suicides” when someone made a mistake or if a shooter cannot make the free throw. I would say they were doing trainings almost similar to high school or even college varsities. I did not complain because I thought it might be the formula of SBC Red Lions for producing so many champions. Jozhua never complained about the training and it seems that he was okay with it. However, as months passed by, his guardians were telling me that Jozhua’s attitude changed. I asked my son what was his problem but he never confided to me. I hired a tutor in the village so he can have assistance in his daily assignments since I or my wife were only able to come on weekends. But, still there was a decline in his academic performance. It also seemed that he was becoming reluctant in attending trainings. One time, me, my wife and Jozhua’s lolo watched his game, San Beda vs Notre Dame in Caloocan. They won overwhelmingly by around 50 points but we observed coach Pujante was lambasting his team but was also focusing on Jozhua. He was basically embarrassing Jozhua in our presence. That was the last time Jozhua played in San Beda. Then he did not want to go to classes either and I had to rush back to Taytay to be with him on a daily basis and to know the problem. He was not talking and did not want to eat or get out of his room. He basically broke down and was showing signs of depression and trauma. Then coach Pujante came in one afternoon to talk with Jozhua and me. There I saw Jozhua’s reaction when he saw his coach. His body was numb and was really very frightened— clear symptoms of depression, trauma and fear. He also looked very angry during that time. One close schoolmate of Jozhua confirmed to me that he was maltreated and always singled out by his coach. He was often bullied and subjected to ridicule and embarrassment by his coach. Jozhua finally broke down when his coach embarrassed him in front of his team, when we were there in Notre Dame. That’s the time we decided to pull out Jozhua from San Beda Taytay, just before the second periodical examination. We brought him back to Naga City. He totally lost his self esteem. He did not want to play basketball anymore. He did not want to transfer to other schools in Naga City. What I did was to bring him along with my travels. Sometimes we watched local basketball games, NCAA, UAAP and PBA in Araneta Coliseum so that his love for the game and most especially his self-esteem would come back. Some of the parents in San Beda told me to file complaint against Pujante to San Beda administration but I decided against it. I did not complain either to Coach Badolato who was then the head coach of San Beda Red Cubs. I do not want to create an image that Jozhua’s parents are too protective and always complaining if their son was having difficulties in varsity. I am sure the basketball community of coaches in Metro Manila will know about the issue if we file complaint that will not only involve Jozhua’s coach but also the guru or master of high school basketball Coach Badolato whom I had a great respect and admiration. There was no way Jozhua can pursue his big dreams in Naga City, so we went back to basic. I enrolled him again in Milo Best clinics in Ateneo de Manila where we met Coach Andrew Mavrides. I told him about our problem and he was so helpful to us. He referred us to Coach Henry Subido, a great father and trainer not only to his son but also to a lot of boys at Lourdes School of Mandaluyong. He gave me an idea to enrol Jozhua as Grade 7 instead of first year high school so that he can review his subjects and be more prepared academically in high school. Coach Henry fully understood the situation and treated Jozh well. His wife also gave free tutorials on Saturdays to Jozhua and two other boys from Bukidnon. Coach Henry and wife along with the assistant coaches and trainers are very kind and friendly to student-players. Jozhua was able to regain his self-esteem though he was not the same player from Naga City who is very aggressive in shooting. He was always cautious to make mistakes and seemed afraid to shoot the ball. He was no longer the boy known as a natural shooter who often beat even college varsity students in 3 point shootouts in Naga City. It was never our intention to delay Jozhua’s schooling by enrolling in LSM unlike other schools coaches who tell their varsitarians to deliberately fail their grades so that they can extend their playing time. We just did the basic strategy to “make one step backward and move two steps forward” in enrolling our son in LSM as an elementary student. I was sure that with the help of Coach Henry and staff along with some members of the faculty, Jozhua was in the right place and direction once again. After his elementary graduation from Lourdes, several UAAP schools where interested to have Jozhua as part of their teams. Among them were DLSZ, UST and UPIS. We decided to enroll him in UPIS, wherein I observed, training was not as rigid as the other schools. I did not want to subject Jozhua into another “SBC” style training. After all, he was still very young and it might also affect his physical growth. Another consideration was the high level of education of UPIS and the tuition fees and maintenance are not so expensive. He will also be among students with same standard of living as ours. National University was also among my choices since my late father was an architecture graduate (Cum Laude) of this prestigious school. Yet, we already knew that his former coach in SBC was already a training coach in that school and therefore we disregarded enrolling him there. Jozhua took the entrance exam and eventually enrolled in UPIS. We told them about the background of Jozhua and submitted his NPS school card, LSM copy of grades and the partial grades in SBC-Taytay. He was evaluated by UPIS and found to be eligible to play in UAAP 73rd. During the 2010 Fil-Oil tournament in The Arena, Jozhua was approached by his former SBC coach and was invited to enroll in NU, even enticing him that they will be receiving money and groceries from SM. He even approached me and my wife and told us to contact him if we were interested. He even told us that we can still transfer to NU even if Jozhua was already enrolled UPIS. We told Mrs. Subido about this and she was greatly amused. She knew we will never enroll Jozhua in NU considering his presence. To make sure that Jozhua will study well, my wife stayed with him in Quezon City. Last year, Coach Pujante started harassing our son again. One of the occasions my son remembers was last UAAP 75th when they played against Ateneo in MoA arena, Pujante told Jozhua, “Hanggang 3rd year ka lang sa UAAP. Akala mo makakalaro ka next year?” Jozhua’s UPIS teammates overheard these as it was done while they were sitting on the bench. During their Fr. Martins game against NU in San Beda College gym last summer, he was approached again by Pujante and told him the same thing. We reported this to Coach Allan Gregorio who assured us that he will take care of everything. This protest against our son is a case wherein the bully simply cannot move on since his victim refused to be bullied or harassed again. Dear board members of UAAP, I would like to appeal to you not to become part of this continued harassment my son is suffering from his former San Beda Coach. Please do not destroy Jozhua’s redeemed self-esteem. Please help Jozhua achieve his dream to have a good opportunity in college and pursue his passion for basketball as a UAAP varsitarian. Most of all, I appeal to you not to allow yourselves become “tools of harassment” of this child abuser by honoring Pujante’s protest. Jozhua was allowed to play when he was in first year high school, why would he not be allowed to play in his senior year? We as parents are praying and appealing that you allow Jozhua to play in his senior year. Please do not steal this once in a lifetime opportunity in which he prepared for, for the past three years. I am also appealing to you to give order to Mr. Leo Pujante to never approach my son again especially during UAAP games. Please help us stop his harassment, which was happening since 2008 when he was enrolled in SBC-Taytay. We are hoping for your kind consideration. Sincerely yours, Mr. and Mrs. Jose G. General
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 07:07:25 +0000
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