By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
11 Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR) athletes and staff decided to resign, pointing out the bullying and toxic culture they experienced in the company.
Aside from the bullying and the toxic culture, some wrestlers also claimed they were sexually harassed which resulted in their mass resignation.
Wrestlers Jan Makie Gaerlan (Main Maxx), Christopher Hofer (Chris Panzer), Mark Javellana (Jake de Leon), Stanly Sy (Mr. Sy), Romeo Moran (SANDATA), Kenneth Halili (Ken Warren) graphics and media staff members Matt del Rosario and Maow del Rosario, media officer Chai del Rosario, production’s Ouel Babasa and logistic team’s Czarina Saño decided to file their resignation, breaking their silence after years of hardships in the company.
“As individuals, we are aware that we are not without our own faults. However, we can no longer tolerate the amount of bullying and toxicity that manifested within our company’s culture over the years, and has affected us and the people around us in a negative manner,” wrote in the statement.
The bold move done by these wrestlers and staff came after co-PWR athletes Nina and Crystal complained that they have been experiencing sexual harassment in the industry.
“This decision to leave comes from a desire to maintain our own physical, mental, and emotional well-being, especially during such a trying time as the current pandemic,” continued the statement.
The PWR is the top organization in the Philippines that sets and arranges locally-produced wrestling events.
Two out of the 11 wrestlers that filed for resignation, Jake de Leon and Ken Warren, were given the chance to try out for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in China last year.
“While we are eternally grateful for all the opportunities that we’ve gotten through PWR, it pains us to admit that we are no longer comfortable remaining with the company at this time,” added the statement.
