Phisgoc remains in charge of SEA Games preparation
Credit to Author: RALPH VILLANUEVA| Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2019 16:18:46 +0000
Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), amid corruption allegations, should stay away from the country’s preparation for the SEA Games, sports officials said the committee is still in charge of the task.
The Philippines will host the biennial sporting event on November 30 to December 11.
“Yes [Phisgoc will still handle things.] Nothing changed,” Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said during the Call for Unity for the 30th SEA Games at the Heroes Hall of the Malacañang Palace on Wednesday.
This was confirmed by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go in an ambush interview after the event.
Go explained that the Phisgoc will be the organizing committee, while the PSC will handle the disbursement of funds.
The Philippine Olympic Committee, on the other hand, will manage the sporting competitions.
“Actually, what the President said then was the government will handle the funds because he knew of the leadership problem, crisis at the POC, so he said they should make sure the government will hold the funds and there will be a good procurement,” he said.
The funds will be released to the PSC through the Department of Budget and Management, Go added.
The Phisgoc will be held accountable in its handling of private funds, he stressed.
Phisgoc chairman and newly-elected House of Representatives Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the committee will comprise of a third of the PSC, a third of the POC and the remaining third by appointees of Duterte.
In an interview with The Manila Times President and CEO Dante Francis Ang 2nd on July 11, 2019, Duterte said he is “through” with the Phisgoc and that the preparations for the SEA Games should be placed under the supervision of the government.
“It should be the government. We, in the middle. The foundation merely complicates things,” Duterte said.
Cayetano denied that there was any corruption under his watch.
“If it is true that there’s corruption, let’s put people behind bars but if it’s politicizing the event it affects all of us. The world is looking at us,” Cayetano said.
Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo vouched for Cayetano’s character.
“In the first place there is no corruption in the Phisgoc. Definitely, former Senator and now Cong. Alan was and never, and I don’t think will ever be involved in any corruption,” Panelo told reporters.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who was the subject of recent opinion pieces by The Times columnist Ramon Tulfo, called for 100 percent support for the country’s hosting of the games.
Tulfo, in his column alleged that Medialdea issued memorandum No. 56, ordering all government agencies and government-controlled corporations to support the Phisgoc Foundation, without Duterte’s knowledge.
“Unlike the others who are all tirades and who are not giving anything to support the country. I am challenging the noisy ones, you show us how you helped the sports and the Filipinos,” Medialdea said in his speech during the Call for Unity for the 30th SEA Games.
Go, in an ambush interview, said that Duterte has prior knowledge of whatever document Medialdea signs.
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