Former city sports official sees pre-election pattern

CEBU, Philippines - Former Cebu City Sports Division Commissioner Allan Torrevillas said the activation of Cebu City’s barangay-based sports program is already a “pre-election” pattern.

Torrevillas, who is now handling the sports programs of opposition leader Jonathan Guardo, said it is already the pattern of the present city administration to release funds for sports at least a year before the elections.

“I should know, they are like that. I already preempted the distribution of boards last week and it came true. Next there will be 5,000 volleyballs and basketballs,” said Torrevillas, who was member of the City Sports Commission the same time when Guardo was heading the agency.

He said the sports program of the city is very untimely because these are conducted almost in the middle of the school year where students are busy with their studies. He added sports activities of Guardo are mostly done in summer when the youth are just wandering.

The target age range of the participants of the MY CT Games, Torrevillas said, is obviously the voting population.

“And it is not only the youth, we also have activities even for the elementary students who are not voters,” Torrevillas said, adding the administration is not giving a fair play for private sector initiatives to prosper without tainting such as political in nature.

 Guardo earlier complained that their camp was not allowed to hold any sports event in any barangay gymnasiums when these places were public.

 He cited as an example the alleged harassment done to their boxing tournament in Inayawan recently which the barangay councilors allegedly welcomed since there were not much activities lined up for the fiesta.

What happened, Torrevillas said, was that they were not allowed to use the gym and so they had to place the boxing ring outside. There was also no security and order and so the cars just parked anywhere near the stage.

The bulbs used in the affair were not functioning well and so they asked someone from the barangay to secure a better light but came back two hours late when it was already starting to rain.

“So in the end, the tournament did not push through, luoy kaayo ang mga boxers, nabasa ug wala kaduwa. If I am to borrow the mayor’s words, he is a lot of bullshit,” Torrevillas said.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña in the recent interview said he learned such from the camp of Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann de los Santos who ripped off his streamers and boards in Lahug when he ran in 2004. — Ferliza C. Contratista/WAB         (FREEMAN NEWS)