It is easiest to accuse. It is hardest to prove an accusation.
That, in essence, was what Anais Lavillenie had done last week — accuse our dear EJ Obiena of taking dope. She did it without presenting any shred of evidence.
The accuser is the wife of French Renaud Lavillenie, who won the men’s pole vault gold in the 2012 London Olympics. She hurled the accusation on the Facebook page Vaulter Magazine Vaulter Club Inc., which has a following of 93,000.
Lavillenie’s post, however, was promptly deleted after Business Mirror’s Josef Ramos wrote about it.
What could be Lavillenie’s motive will now remain unknown as she has vanished without a trace.
Did she do it upon the urging of the devil, who treats an idle mind as his personal playground? Or, is she a racist, maybe? She couldn’t believe that an Asian like Obiena can be the world’s No. 2 pole vaulter?
But Obiena received inspiring words from Filipino sporting greats, among them Olympians Akiko Thompson and Roel Velasco.
Thompson, a former swimming champion and Philippine Olympian Association president, was quoted by Ramos as saying: “Don’t bother with the unimportant noise. Stay focused on the goal. That’s what’s important.”
Thompson, also a former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission, said: “Hard as it is, we have to learn how to block off what we know is false, and keep moving forward toward your goal.”
She used a fowl for Obiena to buck-bashing: “Be like a duck and shrug off the water.”
A three-time Olympian in 1988, 1992 and 1996, Thompson told Obiena to always ignore “nonsense slandering.”
Velasco, a boxing bronze medalist in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, told Obiena: “Bashing is not new as even during our time, there were envious people in your surroundings. Don’t be distracted and work hard to reach your goals.”
“We take seriously the doping allegation against Obiena, who is our national sports hero,” said Senate Sports Committee chairman Bong Go. “We will not tolerate such baseless accusations.”
Since Lavillenie has withdrawn her post, is there still need to sue her for libel? No use, anymore.
But then, it’s Obiena’s call — obviously.