NEGROS Occidental provincial sports coordinator Angel Verdeflor said on Friday, February 23, the province will file a protest over the forfeiture of the Negrense secondary boys football team’s shot at the title during the game against Iloilo in the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet.
Verdeflor said the referee should be the one to control the game and should punish or take the appropriate action against the coach or players who commit any illegal move during the game.
What happened was no longer a show of sportsmanship, Verdeflor said.
The Department of Education (DepEd) declared the host team Iloilo as the champion after the game was not finished due to the brawl.
The statement of Verdeflor came as Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson requested the officials of DepEd in the province to investigate the brawl during the championship match.
Lacson said he is hopeful that the DepEd will come up with their own version of what happened and update the Provincial Government about the incident.
He said a lot of stories have been coming out in the social media that has created a conflict among netizens from Iloilo and Negros.
Lacson said he was informed about the incident through a text message thus he simply received raw information.
The vice governor, a known supporter of football in his hometown of San Carlos City, expressed sadness about the incident.
He clarified though that it is premature to conclude who is at fault because many knew about the incident only from reports and the social media.