BANGKOK — The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) has voiced concern over judging and officiating at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games after the semifinal eliminations of Olympians Nesthy Petecio and Hergie Bacyadan.

ABAP secretary-general Marcus Manalo questioned the integrity of the sport, pointing to what he described as unfair scoring that resulted in Petecio’s controversial 3-2 split decision loss to Indonesia’s Hasanah Huswatan in the women’s 63-kilogram semifinals.

“The sport really has to be better in terms of integrity. Otherwise, baka we don’t really deserve to be in the Olympics beyond 2028,” Manalo said, stressing that fair officiating is critical for the credibility of Philippine boxing on the global stage.

Controversial decisions draw criticism

Manalo expressed that Petecio’s performance merited a 5-0 unanimous decision, adding that the last round clearly favored the Filipino Olympian. He said the split decision loss came as a shock not only to the Philippine team but reportedly even to officials from Thailand and Indonesia.

“Even the Thai officials couldn’t believe the result. Reportedly, even the Indonesian sports minister was surprised by the result. Unfortunately, that’s how it is in boxing,” Manalo added, highlighting ongoing concerns over the transparency of scoring in the sport.

ABAP calls for fairness and integrity

While ABAP emphasized its willingness to accept defeat when justified, Manalo insisted that judging must be based on consistent standards, including punch volume and accuracy. He argued that Petecio and Huswatan were equal in both categories, leaving no clear basis for awarding the final round to the Indonesian boxer.

ABAP’s statement underscores the need for boxing to maintain integrity and consistent officiating, particularly as the Philippines seeks to remain competitive on both regional and Olympic stages.