SENATOR Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero yesterday said sports, like in all other government agencies, should be spared of corruption even as he lamented reports that funds for the Philippine Sports Commission have been diverted by a Pagcor franchisee to a former top police official.
These funds, representing five percent of earnings by the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp., were supposedly remitted to the PSC as mandated by Republic Act 6847 of 1990 as part of the National Sports Development Fund.
But PSC officials have denied giving authorization for the release of the NSDF and were, in fact, limiting their expenses to priority projects, which resulted in the PSC having saved at least P1 billion, so far.
“That is if those savings have not been released by the First Cagayan Leisure and Resort Corp., to and in the name of Alan La Madrid Purisima, supposedly the former Philippine National Police Director General, who was named in an expose by a well-known columnist as recipient of nearly a billion pesos from the Pagcor,” Escudero narrated.
Escudero said RA 6847 requires the PSC as the sole recipient of its five percent share from Pagcor’s income, but it is now being accused of releasing a total P937,424,003.85 to Purisima.
Purisima was sacked by the Ombudsman for graft in June last year for his illegal dealings with a shell company allegedly owned by his cronies and the construction of a “White House,” which he envisioned to serve as the PNP Chief’s home in Camp Crame.
Purisima again came into the limelight when he was named as a leading participant in the botched Mamasapano raid on the international terrorist Marwan’s lair, which resulted in the death of 44 Special Action Forces operatives.
He was serving a suspension at the time of the Mamasapano raid, and subsequent Senate investigations revealed he and several other government and police officials have bypassed the authority of the then SPSecretary of Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas, who later confessed to knowing nothing about the January 2015 operation.
“Madalas na nagmamakaawa sa Kongreso at sa Senado ang mga opisyal ng PSC para sa dagdag na budget, taon-taon. Ibinibigay naman natin ‘yan, pero hindi ibig sabihin ay pwedeng galawin ng kung sino-sino lang ang pera para sa sports,” Escudero said.
“No wonder, palaging palpak ang resulta ng pakikibaka natin sa international competitions dahil hindi nagagastos ang pera ng tama para sa mga atleta,” Escudero added.
Graft charges are said to be being readied against Purisima, and Escudero said he will help pursue “not only the paper trail, but on whose hands these money have fallen.”
“At one time, problema natin ang nutrisyon ng atleta. At another, problema natin kung saan kukuha ng pondo para sa training nila. Papano magkakaroon ng sapat na pondo ang mga atleta ng bayan kung sa iba naman pala napupunta?” lamented Escudero.
Pagcor must also be made to account for all the funds it has released to its different beneficiaries, Escudero said.
“Hindi puwedeng nagma-magic lang,” said Escudero. “Kung may dapat managot, panagutin. Hindi pwedeng nakaupo lang tayo habang nalulustay ang kaban ng bayan sa hindi tamang paraan.”