The debacle in Malaysia that saw the Philippines landing in sixth place anew in the Southeast Asian Games merely served to highlight the malaise.
Just weeks after PSC head William “Butch” Ramirez announced that the Philippines was pulling out from hosting the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, here comes (of all people) Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano announcing to all and sundry that the Philippines would be hosting the SEAG 2019 after all.
Cayetano made sure Ramirez as PSC head and long-time Philippine Olympic Committee Peping Cojuangco were there when the news was announced.
Before this, Ramirez has announced that no less than President Duterte himself had advised him against hosting the SEAG so funds could be diverted to the rehabilitation of Marawi City.
The Philippine government has committed P20billion pesos from state emergency and disaster funds for a comprehensive master plan to rebuild Marawi.
The PSC said other reasons militate against hosting the SEAG. First, the POC does not have the facilities to host the games. The government needs at least P700 million to host the games.
The POC is also staring at a notice of disallowance issued by the Commission on Audit amounting to P27Million for irregularities arising from hosting of the 2005 SEAG.
But Cojuangco who has lorded over POC since 2004 would have none of these. It was clear that Cojuangco pulled all the stops just to get Ramirez reconsider. Since he could not go to Duterte himself, he managed to hold on to Cayetano to listen to him.
The result was a meeting that involved Cayetano, Ramirez, Special Assistant Bong Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medaldia. It concluded with Cojuangco getting what he wanted.
Ever the team player, the PSC board with Ramirez at the helm approved the decision. That is how it showed on the surface.
Beneath, this episode hinted at what amounts to a tug of war between POC (representing elitist sports) and PSC (representing grassroots sports), between those who cling barnacle-like to a corrupt status quo and to those who are out to institute meaningful change.
On paper, there is no conflict between the two. The POC as the national Olympic committee of the Philippines has the sole authority to represent the Philippines in the Olympic, Asian and SEA games. It is the umbrella organization of all national sports associations.
The PSC recognizes “the POC as the national Olympic body for the International Olympic Committee.” It recognizes the autonomy of the POC and that NSAs.
Created by virtue of R.A. 6847 in 1990, the PSC is the country’s “sole policy-making and coordinating body of all amateur sports development programs and institutions in the.” Its primary function is “to provide the leadership, formulate the policies and set the priorities and directions of all national sports promotion and development, particularly giving emphasis on grassroots participation”.
It is also tasked to supplement government appropriations for sports promotion and development, the reason why the NSAs always turn to PSC for financial assistance.
The PSC over the years has been calling on the NSAs to liquidate their financial assistance but it was not until Ramirez took the helm that the NSAs were told to comply or forfeit any assistance. The PSC in fact gave 57 NSAs up to March 15 to comply with the order. It added it will sue those who failed to comply. As of February 13 this year, the NSAs have yet to liquidate a total of P98Million out of P149 M they got from PSC.
The NSAs, like Cojuangco, are the villains in the story. Some of them in fact have become virtual family corporations and are responsible for the travesty of parading 40 to 50 years olds to don the national colours, as against youngsters (young enough to be their grandsons and granddaughters) from the other participating countries. One NSA continues to be the butt of jokes in the region by fielding a 42-year Tongan as a mainstay of its basketball team. Ironically, the team is the most hyped and most covered with the exception of Manny Pacquiao every time he steps into the ring.
The PSC over the years was both meek and compliant. In Imperial Manila, you don’t go against Cojuangco and his NSA minions.
But with Duterte in power, Ramirez made it clear that the PSC will only support NSAs that have been able to liquidate government funds.
Meanwhile, the PSC has been all over the country in laying down the infrastructure for grassroots sports. One of its teams in fact was in Marawi City when hostilities broke out and left the city only under difficult circumstances. In Banaue (Ifugao) as well as in the MILF camp in Maguindanao, PSC raised the banner for the grassroots sports.
In summing up what the PSC has been doing so far, Ramirez has time and again made it clear that helping inculcate love of sports in the grassroots held more weight than all the gold medals this country time and again reaps, with notorious irregularity, from international competitions.
“As a former athlete and coach, I do not look at medals as a standard of winning. The teamwork, unity, cooperation and Filipino spirit is the real victory for me,” said Ramirez.
In 2012, Sen.Antonio Trillanes said the PSC which was supposed to “oversee, reforms (sic) and jumpstart the state of Philippines sports” has yet to accomplish this since its creation 21 years prior.
He added there have been issues such as lack of a comprehensive national sports program, obsolete training methods, the lack of state-of-the art facilities and modern equipment which are seen as the reason (sic) for the country’s poor performance in competitions in the international level.
Strange that he had nothing to say just when the PSC is now hell-bent on instituting meaningful change in Philippine sports. (30)
