Aboitiz condemns violence in Cebu U-18 football match

Aboitiz Foundation released a statement condemning the violence that happened on March 16 during an under-18 football match in Cebu; an event they were sponsoring.

“We are very concerned about the incident that happened during a football game in the Aboitiz Cup last Sunday and will not condone this unacceptable behavior,” the statement read. “The Cebu Football Association (CFA), the organizer and implementer of the Football Cup, is currently investigating the matter and will send us their report once it is complete.”

During the game between Alcoy FC and the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu in the 16th Aboitiz Football Cup at the Aboitiz Field, violence broke out between players from both squads after rampant trash talking.

Things got worse when spectators who were presumably related to the players on the field joined the brawl. The incident drew ire of people online after pictures of a grown man wielding what appeared to be a weapon of some sort was seen hitting a kid while he was entangled with an opponent spread on the internet. The incident was first reported by SunStar Cebu.

“Meanwhile, we wish for the speedy recovery of those who were hurt, especially the children, during the incident,” the statement continued. “We trust that the CFA will take the right and immediate measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.”

“The Aboitiz Football Cup was created 16 years ago to promote the values of teamwork, discipline, sportsmanship, and even education itself, among the youth and hope that these values will continue to be upheld.”