The Philippine Olympic Committee, since time immemorial, has made the Olympic Charter as its shield in defending itself from government intervention.
I don’t find anything wrong with that at that time when sports leaders were indeed true gentlemen and ladies.
But times have changed.
These days, a position in the POC would mean travel privileges at the expense of taxpayer’s money. Gone are the days when sports leaders travel and pay for it themselves. Yes Sire, those days are indeed gone.
You know of any sports leader travelling at their own expense? Who is ashamed of using public funds to travel, specially abroad? Because he or she thinks that the budget allocated for him or her would be instead allocated to an athlete? I’m just asking but I know these are questions rarely being asked.
Pretty sure, you’ve read of the millions and millions of the reported unliquidated expenses by the POC under the watch of Peping Cojuangco. At least P65 million in unaccounted funds, according to the national papers.
It’s unfortunate, that those allegations were never answered by the POC which we expect to be issuing an official statement specially that public funds are involved.
Philippine Sports Commission Ramon Fernandez has made it clear that if National Sports Association officials, who are members of the POC, cannot properly address the whereabouts of the taxpayers’ money, the PSC will see them in court.
Instead, Peping responded with mudslinging and accused the PBA legend Fernandez as a “game fixer”.
What we expected from Peping was a statement of the whereabouts of the millions of pesos that have remained unaccounted for as of today. Yes, at least P65 million. Oh my Lord!
Of course, we expect commissioner Fernandez to spearhead a legal team to file cases against the POC and NSA leaders. Libel case against Peping? Forget it Comm.Ramon, instead focus on the unaccounted funds so they will know that you are indeed serious in protecting public funds, and if necessary, recover it.
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Happy birthdays to cousins med rep Happy Antonio and UP-Min’s Karen Gillian Au Flores, SM City’s Apol Legario and Columbia Computer Football Club’s Walter Ravanes.
