Peping drops bomb on SEAG critics

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. lashed out at government agencies that were either critical or unsupportive of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc), breaking a long silence that rooted from the country’s hosting of the SEA Games last December.

After thanking his supporters in his 15-minute speech, Cojuangco censured the Department of Finance, Bureau of Customs, Airport, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and television station PTV 4 for having been uncooperative at the time Philsoc needed their help and assistance to ensure the smooth and successful staging of the biennial, 11-nation sporting conclave.

"I didn’t wish to dampen this event with this last report, but I cannot relax until every single detail in the SEAG is settled or resolved, and I know I will feel a lot better if I could give this report," said Cojuangco in Saturday night’s PSA Awards at the Manila Pavilion.

"I felt that being transparent in all aspects of the last SEA Games, our chances of improving our efforts to the coming Asian Games and 2008 Olympics would be better," he added.

The former Tarlac Congressman blamed the delay of the renovation of the track oval at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex to the Department of Finance while he pointed at Customs for the problems in the release of the imported sports equipment the athletes needed for their training.

Cojuangco also said that if not for the intervention of President Arroyo, the airport tax on all SEAG participants wouldn’t have been waived. Traditionally, the exemption is granted to all participating athletes of the SEA Games.

Cojuangco was also disappointed that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas charged them with the rental of the PICC’s ground floor, used by Philsoc as secretariat and international and local media center.

"Why should our government agency charge a national effort for the country?" Cojuangco asked.

Channel 4 was not spared, accusing the government-owned station for "selling commercials at least 10 times of the cost" of the special equipment it bought for the Games’ coverage.

And for complaining the loudest during the event, Cojuangco also hit the Bacolod SEAG Organizing Committee (Basoc) and Cebu SEAG Organizing Committee (Cebusoc).

He said Basoc received P20.5 million from the Philsoc on top of the P45 M it received from the national government while the Cebusoc got P9.8 M from Philsoc and P10 M from Malacañang.

"I didn’t want to bring this up but they are the only ones that are very vocal and publicly complaining and so I also have to explain our side," he stressed.