YOU are not alone, John.

Suspended Jose Rizal University player John Amores said he received “words of encouragement” from Vice President Sara Duterte several weeks after he was kicked out of JRU basketball games.

Screenshot from John Amores’ Instagram account

In an Instagram post, the embattled Amores said, “it was a great honor Mam thank you for those words of encouragement.”  He showed a copy of the letter’s envelope.

“Remember the lesson, not the mistake,” said Amores’ post quoting a line from the Vice President’s letter. “You have a friend from the Office of the Vice President.” 

Screenshot from Vice President Sara Duterte’s Instagram account

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and JRU have suspended indefinitely Amores, JRU  team’s forward after he punched rival players from the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde players in November.

Amores was dismissed from the JRU basketball program immediately  after the school announced it would conduct an internal inquiry regarding the brawl. He was handed down community service  by the university as part of its  sanctions. 

Screenshot from John Amores’ Instagram account

Amores has lost all  the benefits of a student-athlete, according to JRU. He was likewise suspended from his classes, though the school statement made no mention of how long the suspension would last. 

However, the school said it would  offer its athletes, including Amores, psychological counseling, to prevent a similar incident.