Proven guilty of bullying a fellow junior high school student, taekwondo practitioner Joaquin Montes was penalized with dismissal by the Ateneo de Manila University. This means he can no longer go back to the school but he can still enroll in other schools.

The Philippine Taekwondo Association has also decided to indefinitely ban Montes from all of its sanctioned events. On the other hand, the association is allowing the teenager to be reinstatement in the condition that he undergo supervised counseling and rehabilitation.

On December 23, 2018, the PTA took to Facebook to share its statement about the decision. It was signed by its president Robert Avertajado.

“The Philippine Taekwondo Association’s (PTA) ad hoc committee tasked to probe and evaluate the violent incident involving a young Taekwondo practitioner recommends a sanction of an indefinite ban of the student involved from all sanctioned events not limited to Taekwondo-related events, belt promotions, tournaments or facilities of member institutions effective immediately,” the statement read. “In an effort to foster reconciliation we are recommending the student undergo rehabilitation with organizations to handle this counseling. The PTA on its part will endeavor to lend support through its Taekwondo education and training programs. The aim for this is to allow the individual to own responsibility for his actions, show remorse and contribute positively to the community.”

“Should he or his family decline this option, the PTA will have no choice but to expel the practitioner from the association,” the statement continued. “Supervised counseling and rehabilitation are conditions for reinstatement. The PTA will conduct another evaluation on the student’s compliance post the rehabilitation program prior to reinstatement and even then, will put the practitioner on probationary status for a minimum of twelve months.”

Prior to the decisions of the Ateneo de Manila University and the PTA, Filipino taekwondo legend Monsour del Rosario has released a statement about the incident. The actor and politician referred to Montes as “a failed representation” of the Korean martial art.

 

Other prominent Filipino taekwondo practitioners are Beatriz Lucero, Alvin Taraya, Donald Giesler, Manel Sy, Roberto Cruz, Robert Vargas, Stephen Fernandez, Arnold Baradi and Ali Atienza, among others. Meanwhile, here is an anti-bullying message from teenage actress Millie Bobby Brown: