By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA
MANILA — The Philippine Taekwondo Association meted an indefinite ban on the high school taekwondo jin, who became viral last week after videos of him bullying his schoolmates surfaced online.
In a statement posted online early Monday, PTA president Robert Aventajado said the penalty will cover “all sanctioned events not limited to taekwondo-related events, belt promotions, tournaments, or facilities of member institutions.”
Aventajado added that the ban can be lifted but only if the said youngster will “undergo rehabilitation with organizations equipped to handle his counseling.”
“The aim for this is to allow the individual to own responsibility for his actions, show remorse, and contribute positively to the community,” Aventajado said, adding that the PTA will help through education and training programs.
He, however, added that the sanction could be upgraded to a full expulsion if neither the jin nor his family agrees to put him under rehab.
“Supervised counseling and rehabilitation are conditions for reinstatement,” Aventajado said.
The Ateneo Junior High School already dismissed the said jin on Sunday for the bullying incidents.
Should the said jin undergo counseling, on the other hand, he will be evaluated for his compliance, and once he is cleared to be reinstated, he will be under probation for at least one full year.
Aventajado then called on everyone to be careful in making comments about the said incidents.
“The PTA is reinforcing its teaching guidelines on its principles to ensure it remains relevant in children’s day-to-day activities as well as in modern media. We are encouraging everyone to be mindful of their comments particularly on social media, bearing in mind that the subjects are minors,” he said. “We believe that the best way to move forward from this incident is to provide the child with the necessary guidance and mentorship and an opportunity to exhibit remorse and provide restitution to the community in general.”
