Buhain refutes graft raps

(Last of two parts)

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Eric Buhain recently agreed to a no-holds-barred interview by The Star on insinuations of corruption in the government agency he has headed since last year.

There was no time limit in the one-on-one meeting. Buhain never flinched as he fielded questions from all angles. There were questions of impropriety, graft, contract overpricing and discontent within the PSC ranks.

To his credit, Buhain kept a stiff upper lip.

In part 2 of this series, the PSC chairman proved his mettle in facing up to brickbats — deserved or otherwise.

Star: What was your reaction when Go Teng Kok was shot in his car outside the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) office?

Buhain: I wrote (Philippine National Police) Gen. (Hermogenes) Ebdane to investigate the matter and called on the police near the Manila Zoo to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I don’t think the motive was sports-related. The lady security guard at the PATAFA office was not relieved because the incident happened on the sidewalk outside the Rizal Memorial.

STAR: Is it true that the travel agency contracted by the PSC charged $60 more a ticket for Busan than another agency where the national basketball team booked its tickets?

Buhain: Probably. If you pay cash for your ticket, you get a discount. Because of our tight cash position, we got our tickets on credit — which is why our tickets cost more. Nothing irregular about that.

STAR: What was the PSC’s total expense in Busan and was it necessary to book PSC officials in expensive hotels?

Buhain: The PSC spent about P60 Million. No official went on a junket. The priority in choosing delegates had this order — athletes, coaches, referees, judges and trainers. The PSC paid for only one official per NSA (National Sports Association). The PSC sent eight officials and 23 doctors. Our per diem was $100 a day, which is authorized by government. We would’ve wanted to increase the athletes per diem of $30 a day but remember, they were about 300. At the Sydney Olympics, we gave each athlete $1,200 and coaches $300.

STAR: How much has Samsung donated to the PSC?

Buhain: P20 Million. Half went directly to Adidas and half was used for other purposes like the torch relay and sending the cheering team to Busan. We raise contributions mostly in kind, like the Centrum multivitamins that we give to our athletes every day.

STAR: Why are you insisting to hold the Palarong Pambansa in Tubod?

Buhain: The President wants it. We hope to show the peace process is working. We understand there is some resistance to Tubod from parents. It’s a matter of choice. We are assured by the Armed Forces that the Palaro will proceed without a problem. We will hold it after the Mindanao Friendship Games on Oct. 19 to 25.

STAR: How is your relationship with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)?

Buhain: Before the Asian Games, it was good. After, not so good because the POC organized a committee for the Southeast Asian Games without our participation. But that’s been resolved. )POC President) Sito (Dayrit) and I are working things out. The POC and PSC are represented in a joint technical commission headed by Steve (Hontiveros). I think the POC should raise its own funds. I hope the POC can help in this regard so that hindi naabuso ang government funds.

STAR: Is it true that Eddie Ledesma resigned as Philippine Amateur Swimming Association president because the PSC couldn’t keep its commitments to the NSA?

Buhain: I understand Ninong Eddie’s situation. I couldn’t make swimming a priority because that’s my sport. How would it look? We actually don’t know how much we’re going to get from PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.) until 24 hours before the cutoff each month. It’s a guessing game and sometimes, we fall short of our commitments. That’s why the First Gentleman’s effort to raise funds for the national athletes will go a long way in settling our arrears.

STAR: Is the "Magnificent 7"controlling the PSC?

Buhain: No. The Board is the policy-making body. As chairman, I have the discretion to appoint my staff even as my appointments are cleared by the Board. I only brought in Ike Buan and Sean Solis. The others are holdovers. Magnificent 7 or Lucky 7, whatever, these guys support me, they play a role. And it’s not true that I don’t consult the Commissioners.

STAR: Why did the Philippine Basketball Association leave PhilSports Arena?

Buhain: We experimented in marketing streamers and we didn’t realize TV would object. The PBA is back now. We’ve resolved it. We’re now finalizing a contract for the year where the PBA pays the PSC for the use of the arena 25 percent of gross, up from 18. We’ll also share in the revenues of streamer advertising. How much is up to the PBA. We’ll just try to help each other out.

STAR: Are you undertaking expensive projects to the prejudice of athletes?

Buhain: Every Monday at 7 in the morning, I get together with the national athletes. At the start, the athletes were only about 50. Now, they’re about 300 to 400. We sing the national anthem proudly. I told them to practice for when they get their gold medals in Vietnam. I take the opportunity to listen to them. They tell me about their problems and I try to solve them. My projects are necessary. For instance, we spent about P400,000 repairing the roof leaks and fixing the bathrooms in the North and South Towers of the Rizal Memorial. We’re going from one sport to another — repairing the airconditioning at the bowling lanes then fixing the boxing gym and later the weight training room. At the PhilSports Arena, we spent about P14 Million to repair the eroded wall. We’re earmarking P7 Million to spruce up the Rizal oval for the coming 4As. Next year, we’ll start to refurbish our facilities for the Southeast Asian Games in 2005. — Joaquin Henson