By Bernardo B. Ver II
Contributor
Senator Ma.
Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos said Senate sports committee chairperson
Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go must get to the bottom of the numerous
foul-ups in hosting the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) that are embarrassing the
Filipino people even before the biennial sports event has begun.
Ms. Marcos added that she backs Mr. Go’s promise to
conduct a probe and that he would be the best person to do so, to prove that
the government does not cover up anomalies committed by those close to the
President.
“If Senator Go will really conduct an investigation, and
I hope he does, he would prove that the government is not afraid to go up
against President Duterte’s allies,” Ms. Marcos said.
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who chairs the
Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), and Philippine Sports Committee chairperson William
Ramirez have come under fire for various logistical blunders exposed in
mainstream and social media.
Team coaches and athletes from Cambodia, Myanmar,
Thailand, Timor-Leste, and even the Philippines’ women’s football team have
complained about delayed transport and hotel accommodations, meals served in
small portions and that lacked nutrition or that were not halal for Muslim
athletes, and sports venues that have not been completely built days before the
games begin November 30, 2019.
“It’s just so sad that Alan himself as Phisgoc chair admitted to the blunders
that occurred upon the arrival of athletes from various countries participating
in the SEA Games,” Ms. Marcos said.
Complaints of nepotism and favoritism in national sports
associations (NSAs) have also surfaced among bemedaled Filipino athletes in
karate and skateboarding who were excluded from the list of SEAG participants.
Ms. Marcos stressed that although it was premature to pin
blame, the people are sure to demand a reckoning for the billions spent in
hosting the SEA Games and that someone should be made accountable.
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