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Richard Gomez seeks House probe over last minute exclusion of top Pinay fencer in SEAG, laws vs abuse by sports officials
Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez on Tuesday sought a congressional inquiry on the alleged illegal removal of Philippine national team fencer Alexa Larrazabal from the individual epee event at the last minute during the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Bangkok last December.
Gomez made the call in his privilege speech before the House of Representatives plenary session, saying that Larrazabal’s removal greenlighted by Philippine Fencing Association president Rene Gacuma and Philippine Fencing Team head coach Rolando “Amat” Canlas Jr. violated the rules of the Philippine Fencing Association, among other guidelines, including the requirement of securing clearance from Philippine delegation chef de mission Raul Canlas when it came to lineup changes of the Philippine contingent for the biennial meet.
“Less than 24 hours before the women's individual epee event, Ms. Alexa Larrazabal, the number one ranked Filipino women's epee fencer and officially slated to represent the Philippines in both the individual and team events, was suddenly removed from the players list for the individual event [on December 15]. In my over 30 years experience in playing and supporting the sport of fencing in the Philippines, this had never been done. By replacing the number one player at the very last hours before the event, Mr. Gacuma and Canlas had already violated so many rules, both of the PFA and of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC),” Gomez, a winner of two silver and two gold Southeast Asian Games medals as a member of the Philippine National Fencing Team, said.
“Mr. Speaker, I urge the Committee on Youth and Sports Development to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the unfair and unlawful removal of Alexa Larrazabal in the women's epee during the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand. It is now time to enact a law that seeks to impose stricter penalties such as immediate suspension, removal from office, permanent disqualification from sports governance, and revocation of licenses on officials of national sports associations found guilty of grave abuse of authority, oppression, favoritism, serious misconduct, and conflict of interest,” Gomez added.
Gomez then cited the Fencing 205 Handbook which provides that the number one ranked player is automatically selected to compete in both the individual and team events.
“This means that neither the head coach, Mr. Canlas, or the PFA Board of Directors have the authority to replace the number one player in the individual event,” Gomez said.
Gomez also said Gacuma misled the journalists when the PFA president said that Larrazabal’s removal was approved by the PFA Board of Directors during a December 14 meeting because such a meeting never happened.
“Again, even if there was a PFA Board of Directors meeting, they are still not authorized to replace the number one player. What is more concerning is that I know for a fact that no meeting transpired on December 14, 2025. Why? Because I am a member of the fencing board,” Gomez, who won silver as part of the sporting clay national team also during the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games, pointed out.
Further, Gomez claimed that the Larrazabal incident was not an isolated case alleging that Canlas Jr., as well as PFA administrative head Sally Arambulo, have been exerting undue influence in fencing clubs by favoring athletes from the fencing clubs they operate instead of judging an athlete based on merits.
“There have been reports of fencers whose parents have fallen out of Ms. Arambulo's good graces and have since been denied entry in the fencing clubs. As a result, some of these athletes were forced to abandon the sport altogether, while others reportedly left the country just to continue fencing without fear of bullying or exclusion,” Gomez stressed.
Gomez said abuse from sports officials should not be tolerated, and that a law that establishes clear regulatory standards for National Sports Association and effective government oversight should be passed to ensure the protection of Filipino athletes and the integrity of Philippine sports.
“Mr. Speaker, as a former president and current member of the board, I have to protect our athletes, any athlete from any form of harassment, bullying, and abuse by coaches and officials, and to uphold integrity, fairness, and accountability that govern the fencing association,” Gomez added.
Gomez also said that there has never been a formal complaint lodged against Larrazabal over supposed infractions.
GMA News Online is trying to get comments from the fencing officials named by Gomez.
SEA Games incident between Gomez, Gacuma
It can be recalled that Gomez was seen on video hitting Gacuma in the head last December over Larrazabal’s exclusion from the women's individual epee event.
Gacuma, in an interview with GMA Integrated News in December, said the exclusion was a decision made by the whole coaching staff and was due to absences in training and non-compliant behavior.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
