A PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) executive confirmed on Thursday that the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) did not receive the entire P6 billion government funding for the games hosting but only a fourth of the entire amount.
PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr. confirmed Phisgoc’s figures amounting to P1.4 billion in a press release to various media outlets.
“The disbursements were straight forward and paid for [the] expenses they were allocated for,” Iroy said.
Iroy said the procurement of equipment and services were made through the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service, while releases were also made through the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), which handled the purchase of most sports equipment coming from international and Asian federation-accredited suppliers overseas.
The PSC’s direct payments, Iroy said, totaled around P900 million covering payments for accommodation, sports equipment, transportation, catering, allowances of technical officials, freight forwarding services and other expenses as endorsed by the Phisgoc.
Phisgoc President and COO Ramon Suzara wrote POC Secretary-General Atty. Edwin Gastanes on Wednesday to clarify that only a portion of the government funding were given to the organization. It was a response to POC board member Jesus Clint Aranas and athletics chief Dr. Philip Ella Juico’s declaration to media about their intention to file charges against certain POC officials for the Phisgoc’s “failure to provide a financial statement on the SEA Games expenses.”
Aranas, meanwhile, said in an e-mailed press release on Thursday that seven of the 13-member POC Executive Board pressed for the immediate submission of Phisgoc’s audited financial statements on the 30th SEA Games—and not on the issue of how the P6 billion was allocated.
Aranas’s group stressed that the POC general assembly was focused on the “preparation and [submission] of the required financial statements.”
Besides Aranas, the group includes POC chairman Steve Hontiveros, first vice president Jose Romasanta, second vice president Col. (ret.) Antonio Jeff Tamayo, treasurer Julian Camacho, auditor Jonne Go and board member Robert Mananquil.
Besides the e-mailed press release, Aranas also called for a video-linked press conference also attended by Camacho, Go and board member Robert Bachmann.
Referring to the same reports quoting Suzara, this is misleading the issue because the tripartite agreement “obligates Phisgoc to submit to the PSC and the POC the financial reports and make available all records and documents related to the SEA Games,” the press statement said.
“The majority members of the board likewise clarified and insisted that the request for the Phisgoc report was a ‘collective decision’ of the POC general assembly taken during its online meeting held last September 29,” it added.
The group maintained that the Phisgoc was given enough extension—despite the Covid-19 pandemic— “which was why the general assembly approved a resolution adopting Aranas and Juico’s motion on the issue.”
“Our group understands how alarmed the General Assembly is on this matter and the longer this takes, casts doubt on how these funds were utilized,” the group said.
“Please note that the call for liquidation and transparency is made by the POC General Assembly as a collective [body]. The sentiments expressed by Messrs. Juico and Aranas [i.e. transparency and accountability of the SEA Games Funds] are sentiments unanimously shared among and expressed by the members of the POC general assembly,” the group added.