PSC warns NSAs using new names

From now on, the Philippine Sports Commission will not approve, accept or honor changes in the names of the national sports associations receiving financial assistance from the government sports agency.

Commissioner Ritchie Garcia, who handles the NSA affairs for the PSC, yesterday said this is because some sports associations may be planning to change their names to clear themselves of their unliquidated cash advances with the PSC.

Garcia mentioned the volleyball and cycling associations, which have officially changed their names. The PSC is therefore facing an almost impossible task of going after them as far as their unliquidated advances are concerned.

The Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association, which has yet to liquidate P4.6 million with the PSC is now known as the Philippine Volleyball Federation while the Philippine Amateur Cycling Association (P6 million) is now called Philippine Cycling Federation.

"It’s really difficult for us because the only thing you can run after is the association and not the persons (running it). That’s why in our new policy, the president and secretary-general of an association will have to sign a document making them co-makers of the financial assistance.

"This way, they will be liable. But they don’t have anything to worry. This is just for liquidation. If they liquidate properly, then there shouldn’t be any problem," Garcia added.

Garcia said he is unsure whether or not the cycling and volleyball associations did change their names to get away from their obligations.

"But I don’t see any reason why you should change your name. Because if I were elected as the new president of an association, the first question I will ask is if this association has any liability which is for me to inherit," Garcia said.

The flamboyant PSC commissioner said he will immediately inform the Philippine Olympic Committee that the sports agency will not accept a change of name for these NSAs.

"They should be aware of this so before they even do it, they should let us know. If they will still continue with it, they will lose their funding from the PSC," he added.

At the start of the year, the PSC warned the close to 50 NSAs that those with unliquidated cash advances will not be entitled to any financial assistance until they liquidate.

Garcia said triathlon, with P650,000 in unliquidated advances, was recently denied a request of P300,000 supposed to be spent on fielding a team to a tournament in Doha, Qatar this week.

The same thing happened to cycling which was denied their request of P403,000 for the Tour de Taiwan set on March 5 to 13.

"There will be no exceptions. No liquidation, no assistance. Otherwise, if we are to give way to one, then we might as well give way to all," Garcia said.

While there are some NSAs who seemed to have taken the warning lightly, there are some who have cleared themselves up to the last centavo. From P88 million, the PSC is now looking at P72 million in unliquidated cash advances since 2001.

"At least it’s now moving. And this started when we announced this new policy. Otherwise, the unliquidated amount could have even gone bigger," Garcia explained.