Duterte ‘sorry’ for SEA Games ‘mishaps’
Credit to Author: Catherine S. Valente, TMT| Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2019 12:45:53 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday apologized for the mishaps that plagued the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
In a television interview, Duterte acknowledged that “the problem is there [have] been mishaps” but assured delegates that his government would investigate it.
“They are not small incidents rather. Mabigat yun (They are serious). You invite countries to send athletes tapos ganoon ang mangyayari (and then this happens). What happened is I’m sorry. But I’m really apologizing for the country but then again I said they should know while they are still here that government is not happy with it and that their President, the President of the country where they are playing has ordered an investigation,’” Duterte told CNN Philippines in an interview.
“That at least would assuage a little bit of their sama ng loob (hurt). Back home, they will be talking about it. So do not treat it as a kind of matter that should not be a cause for concern. It does. It would cause us because as I said, when they go back, they would start to talk about it,” he added.
The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), led by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, has been hounded by several controversies, ranging from accusations of overpriced materials, not being able to ferry football teams from other countries to their respective hotels, mixed-up press cards and inadequate breakfast for athletes, to unfinished sporting venues.
Several critics, including Sen. Franklin Drilon, asked why Phisgoc was allowed to handle the organizing of the SEA Games alone, despite corruption issues that Duterte himself mentioned in July.
But Duterte believed in the integrity of Cayetano, who he said, would not use government funds earmarked for the biennial regional sports meet to engage in corrupt activities.
“What am I supposed to say? If Alan Cayetano is my ally, then what am I supposed to say in asking [the] public? What is the politically correct statement that I could make under these circumstances? So you have to say, ‘we’re all in here, we’re talking about public funds, people’s funds so I have to answer. I cannot just keep my mouth and say, Ah wala iyan (That’s nothing).’” That would not be correct. It could be a wrong statement to give to the Filipino people,” he said.
Duterte said, however, that the investigation “should proceed with the presumption of innocence.”
“Then along the way, if you find some wrong there, either through negligence or intentional, then let it out and we’ll sort out what to do next, whether to file charges or not,” the President added.