Philippine Fencing Association (PFA) President Rene Gacuma has accused Leyte Representative Richard Gomez of physically assaulting him during the Philippine delegation’s stay in Thailand for the ongoing 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
In a letter to Philippine delegation head Dr. Jose Raul Canlas, Gacuma detailed the incident. He claims it occurred after he tried to shake hands with Gomez following the fencing team’s silver medal win in his event.
Gacuma says that instead of shaking hands, Gomez stepped on his foot, squeezed his thumb forcefully, and cursed at him. Gacuma also reported that the congressman shouted at him and questioned his authority to change some athletes in the national lineup.
Gacuma alleged that after he managed to get away, Gomez followed him and punched him in the neck. He stated that even at the medical station, the assault continued.
The confrontation reportedly started when Gacuma decided to replace national athlete Alexa Larrazabal in the women’s individual epee event. Gacuma explained that he made this decision because Larrazabal failed to submit proper documents, frequently missed training, and had other issues. He replaced her with athlete Hannie Abella.
Gacuma mentioned that he is thinking about filing charges against Gomez but is consulting with his legal counsel first. As of now, there has been no official response from the congressman regarding the allegations.
