Duterte should revitalize PH sports

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

MANY say P-Noy’s

MANY say P-Noy’s Daang Matuwid was a failure and this was the main reason why his candidate Mar Roxas failed to be elected president. Observers cited the 2010 Luneta siege, Mamasapano massacre, LRT frequent conks, tanim-bala, shabu-trading inside the Bilibid Prison as some of the scandals that this administration have. I have to include its failure to improve the development of sports in the country. The latest debacle suffered by our athletes was during the 2015 Singapore Southeast Asia Games where we landed sixth out of just eleven nations.

Our national sports leaders headed by P-Noy’s uncle Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, blame the national government. He blames the failure of the PAGCOR and PCSO agencies, both under the Office of the President, for failing to remit the mandated percent of amounts to the National Sports Development Fund through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to support our national teams.

This problem was echoed by first district congressman of Pampanga Yeng Guiao (also the head coach of PBA’s Rain or Shine). He accused PAGCOR of failing to comply with the provisions of Sec. 26 of Republic Act 6847 or the PSC Law to remit the full 5 percent of its gross income, and PCSO for not remitting the full 30 percent of proceeds from sweepstakes and lottery draws annually. Without the funding support of both PAGCOR and PCSO, PSC cannot accomplish its mandate.

Hopefully, with the forthcoming change of administration, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will seek to revitalize PH sports, appoint honest people fully committed to promote and develop sports by ensuring that PSC gets what is due it. Unknown perhaps to many is the fact millions of pesos allocated for PH sports annually don’t reach our national athletes. I have talked with some of our nationals, especially our cyclists, and most of them said they’re not well taken cared of during their training, a situation that demoralizes them. It’s still the same old palakasan system that operates. Now that “Change is coming,” I hope the law will finally be strictly observed under the Duterte administration.

The Rio Olympics is just around the corner. From around 100 million inhabitants, we only five athletes who passed the world qualifying tourneys headed by two boxers Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez, long jumper Marestella Torres, taekwondo jin Kirstie Elaine Alora and table tennis entry Ian Lariba. Hopefully weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz will pass her final test to be the sixth. Yes, there’s a reserved ‘wild card’ slot from the International Boxing Association for our Filipino boxing icon Manny Paquiao to fight in the 140 pounds (junior welterweight) division but Pacman is still undecided until now. He’s our only best hope to bag the elusive gold for Philippines if he returns to the ring. If he really loves our country then he must join our delegation to the quadrennial meet without consideration of a purse that he has been used to in professional combat.

As in the past, the garrulous PSC commissioner Ritchie Garcia again expresses confidence that we will still manage to 12 athletes to participate in Rio but I doubt that very much. Nothing has changed, and nothing will change until Mr. Duterte revitalizes PH sports and reforms the system.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. “ MATTHEW 7: 1-2

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