Taekwondo mauling case angers Speaker
UPON the instruction of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, a resolution, seeking to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the alleged mauling incident of a taekwondo newbie during a training in Bocaue, Bulacan, has been filed in the House of Representatives.
House Resolution 1670 was filed by House Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo and his colleagues from the ACT-CIS Reps. Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo, Benguet Cong. Eric Go Yap, and Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Wendell Tulfo.
In a statement, Tulfo said they filed a resolution after Speaker Romualdez received reports that a 17-year-old yellow belter in taekwondo suffered multiple injuries after her coach allegedly set her up to spar with a taller and heavier male black belter.
“The circumstances surrounding this incident raise serious concerns about the safety protocols, supervision, and regulations within the Taekwondo community, particularly regarding the appropriateness of match-ups between practitioners of different skill levels during training sessions,” the resolution said.
“The safety and well-being of athletes, especially minors, should be paramount in any sporting activity, and coaches and trainers have a duty of care to ensure that training sessions are conducted in a manner that minimizes risks of injury or harm,” it added.
Romualdez wants to know what agency is authorized to oversee the training sessions not only in Taekwondo but also in other sports.
“Lalo na ngayon, maraming summer classes sa iba’t ibang klaseng sports, hindi lang sa taekwondo, pero maging sa basketball, swimming, football, tennis, at iba pa. Nababahala si Speaker Romualdez, kung sino ang nagbabantay sa mga ito para masigurong ligtas ang mga nagte-training na karamihan ay mga menor de edad? Paano natin masisiguro ang kaligtasan nila?” Tulfo said.
The resolution said conducting an inquiry in aid of legislation will provide an opportunity to review and evaluate existing regulations, practices, and standards within the Taekwondo community, with the aim of identifying gaps or deficiencies that may require legislative intervention to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
