Senate funds can’t be tapped for SEAG

The Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc) may run into a legal hurdle when it seeks financial assistance from both houses of Congress for the country’s staging of the coming SEA Games.

Sen. Pia Cayetano said yesterday that she had talked to the Department of Budget and Management and was told the lawmakers’ "priority development fund" can’t be allocated to sports.

"I have promised to help and still willing to help but I hit a blank wall with the DBM disallowing allocation of our funds to sports. I don’t know what to do," said Cayetano during a Senate hearing looking into the extent of the country’s preparation for the hosting of the games from Nov. 27-Dec. 5.

"Can we ask members of the lower house how to do it. I’ve gone to the DBM and I don’t know if they have gone that far," Cayetano added.

It will be remembered that the Congress, through youth and sports committee chairman Rep. Renato Unico and 15 other congressmen, made an initial pledge of P20 million to help cover the budgetary shortage of the Philsoc.

Philsoc chief executive officer Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. said they have raised only P850 million out of the P1.2 billion funds needed for the successful staging of the games.

In the hearing sponsored by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Philsoc officials and heads of different national sports associations asked help from the Senate, and Sen. Lito Lapid promised to lead a fund-raising campaign in the upper house. — Nelson Beltran