Horseracing enjoying banner year

The record sales being churned out at the country's two racing clubs are proof of the confidence that horseracing enjoys from the public.

This was the assessment of Philippine Racing Commission chair Benedicto Katigbak who yesterday disputed claims made by two horse owners that the agency has done nothing to discourage alleged race-fixing and safeguard the integrity of the sport.

Even as he acknowledged that wrongdoing is sometimes committed even in the most advanced and sophisticated racing centers in the world, Katigbak said the Philracom under his tenure has not been sleeping on the job and is in fact ready to wield the axe on anybody found guilty of race-fixing and other irregularities.

"We don't need proof beyond reasonable doubt. We only want preponderance of evidence. If anybody has a complaint he can substantiate, we will act on it. We're following due process here," Katigbak told the PSA Sports Forum at the Holiday Inn.

However, the Philracom only sticks to the facts and could not be expected to act on mere rumors or suspicions of irregularities, he said.

The Philracom chair revealed during the weekly program sponsored by Red Bull, Agfa Color and McDonald's that total gross sales between January and April reached P1.475 billion, up by 11 percent from last year's figures for the same period.

If the trend continues, Katigbak said he projects P4.5 billion in gross sales for the year 2000, which means more revenue for the government in terms of direct taxes. In 1999 alone, he revealed, the horseracing industry paid P751 million in direct taxes to the government.

Since the controversy over alleged manipulation of races cropped up two weeks ago, Philracom executive director Juan Lozano reported that the races continued to enjoy the support of the public.

The two racing clubs have posted sales of P361 million for the period which is "supposedly weak," according to Lozano, as against the P305 million generated for the same period last year.

Katigbak said he was unhappy about the "reckless" allegations, made by former Rep. Amado Bagatsing and Albert Trinidad, which "placed the whole industry in a bad light."

"How could the industry manage such considerable increase in actual sales and direct patronage if these alleged irregularities are really so widespread as some would claim it to be?" he asked.

Nevertheless, the Philracom chief assured that the agency is ready to fine and reprimand racing clubs or even revoke the licenses of the member of the board of stewards, if it could be proven that they abused their authority.

Katigbak said he has also spoken with officials of the Manila Jockey Club and the Philippine Racing Club, jockeys and trainers and asked them to protect the gains made by the industry the past several years.