Cheerleading Alliance condemns 'inappropriate behavior' after coach's arrest

'Incident involving certain coaches engaging in inappropriate relationships with their athletes is strongly condemned'
Feb 26, 2020

A WEEK after the arrest of cheer coach Dico Ili by the NBI Cybercrime Division, the Philippine Cheerleading Alliance released a statement against "inappropriate behavior from members of its community — Officials, Judges, Coaches — that are harmful to minors, and/or athletes under their supervision."

On Wednesday night, the PCA urged all athletes to "come forward and report to your parents, school officials, administrators, and other relevant authorities when you feel inappropriate behavior occurs."

And for the institutions with cheering squads, the governing body of cheer nationwide fired a stern warning: "We appeal to the schools, universities, organizations, and institutions that employ cheerleading and dance coaches to remain vigilant, and continue to routinely vet their coaches carefully and consistently, to ensure [a] safe environment for the athlete at all times."

On February 18, TV Patrol aired footage of the arrest of cheerleading coach Dico Ili in an NBI Cybercrime Division entrapment operation, after a male cheerleader filed a molestation complaint against him.

The coach was arrested inside a fast food chain along UN Avenue.

In the TV Patrol report, where he spoke to the media under condition of anonymity, the 22-year-old victim accused the coach of molesting him since 2015. But he could not file a formal complaint out of fear of losing his scholarship.

"Allegedly, humihingi ang coach na 'to ng sexual favor para ma-retain ang kanyang scholarship status sa institution nila," said the NBI's Jeremy Lotoc to TV Patrol.

The NBI also found an ATM belonging to another student in Ili's possession, which Lotoc said could also lead to a case for "access device fraud."

On TV Patrol, the coach denied all the accusations.

Perhaps alluding to the Ili case, the PCA said, "The recent incident involving certain coaches engaging in inappropriate relationships with their athletes is strongly condemned."

The statement continued: "It is alarming to note that despite our best efforts to cleanse the community of this blight, there are still many individuals from schools, teams, and cheerleading organizations, who continue to prey on the innocent and naive, grooming them into acquiescence, while their peers exhibit tolerance and indifference."

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Read the PCA's full statement below.

On Wednesday, 26 February, the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde also released a statement to the press, saying that they have been closely monitoring the incident. While they believe it would be "premature" to issue a complete statement, they are nonetheless assuring the community that the "case will be handled with utmost diligence."

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See the statement below:

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