(CANDY) Volleyball player Pia Ildefonso has come forward with Instagram Stories apparently targeting Ateneo De Manila University's prized men’s basketball point guard Forthsky Padrigao.
In a series of Instagram stories, the 20-year-old daughter of PBA great Danny Ildefonso reposted an op-ed piece from Rappler's Kara Angan with the headline “When abusers win championships for their schools, who loses?”, which slammed a culture of letting student-athletes off the hook despite allegations of "sexual and gender-based violence."
“I saw a tweet saying ‘okay lang kung ganun mga ginawa niya, magaling naman sa basketball’. Nope. Hahaha. While others are still healing from the pain and trauma you immature boys have caused, you’re out there being shown on TV, getting all the 'fame' and all the benefits of being a student-athlete in Ateneo (allowances and full scholarships), tas living life like you did absolutely nothing,” Pia wrote on Instagram.
She then shared a photo of Padrigao in Ateneo kit, covering his face with the caption: “Still support Ateneo though.”
Ildefonso added, “It’s never right to cheat on your partner. It’s never right to manipulate and gaslight your partner. It’s never right to take advantage of women, especially when they’re in a vulnerable state. Lastly, it’s never right to spread and leak any personal content of your friends without their consent.”
“Di tama yung inaabuso mo yung kabaitan ng isang tao, lalong lalo na yung mga taong tinuri kang kaibigan. Wala yang galing niyo sa basketball, kung di kayo marunong rumespeto ng kapwa niyo.”
On Twitter, fans expressed their support for Pia and what she’s standing up for, although one netizen asked, "Uhm pwede pansinin na lang ito after matapos yung playing years niya sa Ateneo? Haha many of us just want to watch competitive UAAP games and need ng Ateneo yung basketball skills ni Forthsky."
Ildefonso later tweeted, “AAAAAAND people still wonder why victims choose not to speak their truth.” It was liked and retweeted by her brother and Padrigao teammate Dave Ildefonso.
In 2020, the hashtag #ForthPadriGagoIsCancelled trended, spotlighting a Twitter thread where 15 women presented evidence of their experience of sexual and gender-based violence against Forth. However, the alleged victims have since deleted their tweets or deactivated their accounts.
This story originally appeared in Candy. Edits have been made by Spin.ph staff.