FOLLOWING an expose on alleged financial mismanagement and emotional abuse, Lalaine Pereña has resigned from her post as head coach of the UP Pep Squad.
In a 24-minute video interview, produced through the assistance of volunteer UP Pep alumni and friends, Pereña announced that she would step down from the post she has held since 1998.
“It’s not because that we are guilty nor that we are accepting the false accusations thrown at us, but it’s because of the respect and the love we have for UP Pep Squad that we have come to this decision to leave our positions as coaches of the team,” she said.
“This is truly hurting, but I do believe that God has a divine purpose in all of these that’s been happening to us.”
Earlier in the video, she also responded to the accusations hurled against the team's coaching staff.
“I don’t think we deserve what was written about us, di kami tatagal nang dalawang dekada if what we meant to do was just abuse and take advantage of the members,” she said. “We’re not perfect coaches, we all have our weaknesses, and we just trained the best possible way that we can.”
Pereña also called the accusations “character assassination.”
“Di kami extortionists nor abusers,” she added, and said that the allegations about fines and financial mismanagement were taken out of context.
At the same time, “We do not invalidate the feelings of the members, and gusto ko lang ma-express where the coaches are coming from. Kaya nga, ang wish ko talaga, sana we had that dialog earlier on, para hindi umabot sa ganito.”
Lala Pereña will stay on in UP CHK, reports publications
Both the Philippine Collegian and Tinig ng Plaridel said that Pereña will stay on in the faculty of the College of Human Kinetics.
Two weeks ago, the two campus publications published a two-part report of alleged excessive fines and abusive practices within the Pep Squad, which Pereña led for 24 years. The Pep Squad currently has eight championships to its name in the UAAP Cheerdance Competition.