Missing pencak bets run up huge debts

Three of the six national pencak silat athletes who remained missing in Europe following their competition in the Paris Open Championship have incurred huge debts with the military with their families and loan co-makers facing the prospect of shouldering the burden of payment.

A source in the AFP-POC liaison office said yesterday that Airmen second class Vivencio Dunguez and Larry Sarreal and Airwoman second class Alelie Hernandez were able to secure last-minute loans worth P700,000 with payment set on a five-year period.

In the event they decided to stay put in Europe and seek employment as undocumented aliens, their co-makers will be forced to pay the loans acquired from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Savings and Loans Association, Inc. (AFPSLAI) and other lending firms affiliated with the military.

A2C Joseph Libres of weightlifting, in particular, signed as co-maker in the loan obtained by Dunguez that amounted to P250,000 while Sarreal’s co-maker in his P40,000 loan was Marniel Dimla. Hernandez had P200,000 loans.

The same source added that Dunguez was having financial difficulties brought about by previous loans. Dunguez is reportedly receiving a net monthly pay of only P4,000 because of payment to the loans.

While PSC officer-in-charge William "Butch" Ramirez is giving Al Jabbar Sangkula, Neil John Ballos and Mark Corneta until April 22 to come home, the AFP-POC liaison office has given the three AFP personnel 10 days before they are declared AWOL (absent without leave).

This developed as the Philippine Sports Commission said strict measures will have to be drawn up and implemented by local sports officials to avoid a repetition of the controversy.

Atty. Guillermo Iroy, the acting executive director of the Philippine Sports Commission, yesterday suggested that from now on, athletes and officials representing the country in a foreign competition must surrender their passports to the head of delegation.

"After clearing the immigration in the country they are visiting, they will be asked to surrender their passports to the delegation head and retrieve them only when needed prior to departure," said Iroy.

The PSC official, speaking on behalf of officer-in-charge Butch Ramirez who is in China, explained this set-up will make those planning to go TNT to think twice because it is very difficult to "move around in a foreign country without a valid passport."

The athletes, including the other members of the delegation, which won six gold and two silver medals in the Paris Open Championship, were given a French visa that expires on April 22.

Technically, therefore, they are not yet considered illegal aliens. Iroy told The STAR yesterday that red-faced pencak silat officials have received feelers from the athletes that they would return home.

"May feelers na daw na gusto umuwi. But the PSC will have to wait and see. Otherwise, after their visas expire, they will be blacklisted from the PSC and the Armed Forces of the Philippines where three of the six as members.

"We will give them a chance," Iroy added.

Joey Romasanta, who heads the media affairs of the Philippine Olympic Committee, said a meeting among top PSC, POC and NSA (national sports associations) should be held as soon a possible.

"Measures must be considered to prevent a repetition of this incident. Problema ito kasi nakakahiya ang nangyari if indeed these athletes go TNT. Hindi lang pencak silat ang napahiya kung hindi lahat tayo," he said.

Jose "Peping" Cojuangco, the POC president, is also in China with Ramirez.

Romasanta stressed that this is not the first time that this has happened involving Filipino athletes who competed abroad and decided to stay behind and seek greener pastures.

"Kailangan maiwasan talaga na maulit ito because many will suffer from the consequences," said Romasanta, adding that from now on, it should be the responsibility of the delegation head to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

"Kargo na ng delegation head yan dapat. One has to be responsible if it happens again," he added.

Pencak silat chief Sultan Jamalul Kiram admitted that their chances in the biennial 11-nation SEA Games was drastically reduced because of these recent developments.

"Ang target talaga naming five gold medals, ngayon mukhang kalahati na lang," said Kiram, who blamed his foreign coach — an Indonesian named Suhartono-as the main cause of the Paris incident.

Adm. Luisito Fernandez is in charge of the AFP-POC liaison office tasked to take care of all the problems of the more than 300 enlisted military personnel who are also national athletes.