Nanindigan ang Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizational Committee (PHISGOC) Foundation Inc. na tumatalima sila sa lahat ng direktiba ng Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte kaugnay sa mga paghahanda para sa hosting ng bansa sa nasabing biennial sports competition ngayong taon.
Una rito, kinumpirma ng Malacañang na nais ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na gobyerno na lamang ang mangasiwa sa SEA games hosting ng bansa sa darating na Nobyembre.
Sinabi ni Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, alam daw ni Pangulong Duterte na may korupsyon kung pribadong foundation ang hahawak nito.
Pero ayon kay Ramon Suzara, chief operating officer ng PHISGOC, kapwa may kinatawan ang Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) at ang Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) sa lupon ay nakikibahagi sa lahat ng desisyon ng komite.
Ang P5-bilyong budget na inaprubahan ng Kongreso para sa SEA Games, maging ang P1-bilyong augmentation fund na aprubado ni Pangulong Duterte ay nakalagak sa PSC.
“All government funds are duly accounted for, and are being disbursed in accordance with government procurement procedures performed either by the PSC or the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), as proposed by PHISGOC chairman, Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano, to ensure that every peso allotted for the SEA Games are wisely and properly spent,” saad ni Suzara sa isang pahayag.
Paliwanag pa ni Suzara, dahil sa hindi inaprubahan ang P7.5-bilyon na iminungkahi nilang budget para sa SEA Games, pinunan daw nila ang natitirang P1.5-bilyon sa pamamagitan ng sponsorship funds.
Iginiit ni Suzara na ang suhestiyon na ipahawak sa POC o PSC ang mag-take over sa hosting duties apat na buwan bago ang SEA Games ay magiging mapanganib hindi lamang para sa mga atleta kundi maging sa preparasyon para sa event.
“All this talk about another body taking over the organization of the Games at this late period has not only caused apprehension among our athletes, but among our sponsors and private sector partners as well,” ani Suzara. “We appeal to both the POC and PSC to work together from within the PHISGOC, where they are both prominently represented as originally intended by the President, with his vision of a multi-stakeholder approach to the organization of the Games.”
Muli namang tiniyak ni Suzara na “all systems go” pa rin ang hosting ng bansa ng SEA Games sa kabila ng mga isyu.
Siniguro rin nitong hindi naghahalo ang public at private funds para sa Palaro.
“Any disbursement or sponsorship are approved by the Executive committee of PHISGOC, whose financial statements will be audited by the Commission on Audit.
“In fact, Congressman Cayetano categorically turned down the offer of PSC chairman (Butch) Ramirez to give the entire P5 billion budget for the Games to the PHISGOC precisely to avoid the intermingling of funds and to ensure full transparency. It was also Mr. Cayetano who proposed that DBM oversee the procurement process for the Games to ensure that we comply with the law and the funds are spent prudently,” ani Suzara.
