The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation will remain on top of the hosting chores for the 30th SEA Games this year, a sports official said Wednesday.
This was after President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement weeks ago that he no longer wants Phisgoc to organize the biennial multi-sport event which will be hosted by the Philippines from November to December.
“As is. Nothing is changed. It’s still Phisgoc,” Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez told reporters during the unity call in Malacañang for the country’s hosting of the SEA Games.
Headed by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Phisgoc was marred by controversies over allegations of corruption and incompetence.
This prompted the Chief Executive to declare that he wants Phisgoc out of the picture in the country’s hosting of the SEA Games.
“I have to be responsible for this. Give (the SEA Games) to government,” Duterte said.
In a separate interview, Senator Christopher “Bong’ Go, Duterte’s former long-time aide, explained that the government, through the PSC and Philippine Olympic Committee, will also share Sea Games organization duties.
He said the POC will handle the technical aspects of running the games while PSC will release and manage the funds allocated for the county’s hosting.
“Phisgoc is the organizing committee, but POC will run the games. And the PSC will release the budget, Go said.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, during a Palace briefing Wednesday afternoon, also dismissed the allegations of corruption against Phisgoc because it is “not involved” in the disbursement of funds for the regional games.
“They agreed that there could be no corruption on the part of Phisgoc simply because it is not invovled in the disbursement of funds. The PSC and DBM [Department of Budget and Management] are responsible for that. No way could they be involved,” he told Palace reporters.
Panelo said there is no need to probe if there was corruption in the handling of the SEA Games and expressed confidence in the leadership of Cayetano.
Cayetano, for his part, also denied the allegations during the unity call for the country’s hosting of the SEA Games which was attended by athletes and coaches of the Philippine team.
The country has also hosted the SEA Games in 1981, 1991, and 2005.