After President Rodrigo Duterte said that he would not allow the Phisgoc (Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee) Foundation to organize the Southeast Asian Games, the Palace on Monday said that the government should be on top of hosting chores.
President Duterte on Thursday night shot down efforts by the privately-formed Phisgoc Foundation to snatch the hosting of the 30th SEA Games from government agencies Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.
“I have to be responsible for this. Give (the SEA Games) to government,” Duterte said.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said President Duterte will likely to issue an executive order to give the PSC and POC a freehand in organizing the biennial multi-sports event.
“Since he made that statement, then that is forthcoming. That is his position. He doesn’t like the Foundation, eh,” Panelo said.
The Phisgoc Foundation, according to reports, took over the functions of the POC and made decisions on its own, including the creation of the SEA Games’ official logo, theme, mascot and other marketing
collaterals without the approval of the POC board.
The Phisgoc Foundation, chaired by House speaker bet and Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, is also blamed for the slow progress of the Games as questions have surfaced concerning transportation, accommodation, sponsorship, venues, volunteer program, parade uniform, and technical handbook.
According to POC, although Cayetano was tasked to organize the country’s hosting of the SEA Games, his organizing body was supposed to function as a mere ad hoc committee, not as a foundation that
possesses a legal personality to enter into contracts with sponsors and suppliers.
It was also supposed to be called Phisgoc—not Phisgoc Foundation Inc.—the POC claimed.
There were also questions about the venues tapped by the Phisgoc Foundation, as it decided to move some sports away from the main hub at the New Clark City, Tarlac.
Conflicts in leadership had led to the resignation of former POC head Ricky Vargas.
Currently, the POC is headed by Joey Romasanta.
Last month, the POC said that the Phisgoc Foundation, Inc. “has no control over the staging” of the SEA Games.
Romasanta claimed that all SEA Games-related decisions should “emanate from the POC, since it is “empowered by the SEA Games Federation Council, the Olympic Council of Asia, and the International Olympic Committee to stage major international tournaments in the country.”
Cayetano previously said that leadership issues “unnecessarily create a cloud of instability and uncertainty, causing extreme apprehension on the part of the Games’ sponsors and private sector partners.”