No budget problems - Tuason

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Carlos "Butch" Tuason said national sports associations and their athletes will not be severely affected by the "small" P130-million budget approved by the President, saying the PSC's Atleta program should make up for any shortfall.

Tuason pointed out that the PSC had batted for a bigger share during hearings in the Senate and House of Representatives but Congress reduced its 2000 budget from P182 million to P152 million.

He said the budget does not include costs for the use of PSC facilities by the NSAs, billeting of athletes, medical services and athletes allowances but the PSC will continue to honor its commitments.

"We don't charge the NSAs for electricity or the water when they use our facilities. Do you know that we spend P30 million yearly for this alone?" Tuason said. "These are additional costs that are not included in the budget."

He said it had allocated P75.6 million for athletes' allowances but the budget cut forced the agency to reduce it to P73.3 million, which is still higher than the P66.7 million allocated during the previous year.

Tuason said the PSC Atleta program, which will tap private sponsors to support select NSAs and their athletes, should eventually solve the problem and reiterated that the PSC was not, in any way, blocking a similar POC project still awaiting Malacanang approval.

In the same forum, sponsored by Red Bull, Agfa and McDonald's, Tuason said he is making a formal appeal on the case of PSC executive director Juan Cuadrado Jr. and PSC senior executive assistant Horacio Miranda, whose eligibility are being questioned by the Civil Service Commission.

'Our only contention is that we were not given our day in court. The CSC just handed us a decision," Tuason said. "We are now taking our case to the CSC to appeal and clarify the status."