Although there is now a new man at the helm of the Philippine Racing Commission, the fight being waged by horse owners is far from over.
Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners vice president Eric Tagle yesterday said they will continue to press for a revamp of the Philracom board and then sit down with the racing body’s new officials to come up with a new system that will replace the controversial handicapping system that led to the declaration of a racing holiday last weekend.
For his part, Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos, also the president of Marho, said the horse owners, after their moral victory in their dispute with former Philracom chief Florencio Fianza, are willing to take a more active role in eradicating shenanigans plaguing the multi-billion peso industry and help the government realize more taxes.
Both also said the appointment of Jose Ferdinand Rojas II as officer-in-charge of the commission was well received by all horse owners, including those belonging to the Philtobo, Klub Don Juan and Samahan ng Horse Owners of the Philippines.
“Being a former horse owner, aside from the fact that his family once owned several Triple Crown winners, Mr. Rojas understands the plight of everybody involved in the industry, from the owners to the smallest players, even the betting public. We really hope he would be the next chairman,” Abalos said.
A meeting with Rojas is being arranged by the owners to formulate a new handicapping system that will be acceptable to all, Tagle said, adding “it is the right thing to do” in the wake of the controversy that led to the ouster of Fianza as Philracom chief last Wednesday.
On their call for a revamp of the Philracom board, Tagle said: “We will definitely call for a complete revamp. We will ask the appointing powers to appoint people who have a full grasp and knowledge of the industry. There are lots of personalities who can be tapped for the job.”
Abalos said that while the owners were pressing for the resignation of Fianza, they also came up with several alternatives to the handicapping system covering two and three-year-old horses that was the main issue in the impasse.
“We will present these alternatives to all concerned groups, including the owners, to ensure there is industry participation. We need to look into the gray areas and make sure that everything is acceptable to everybody before we present this to the Philracom,” Abalos said.
Their biggest concern, according to Abalos, is the eradication of several problems bugging the industry, among them the continued proliferation of bookies, erring jockeys and even owners, among others.
“We’re going to work hard with the Philracom and other government agencies on these matters. We need a sustained program to combat the ills of the industry.
We as horse owners can always help the Philracom regarding these problems,” he said.
Tagle, while welcoming the support of the horse owners during the impasse, also thanked the betting public “for their sacrifice” during the racing holiday.
“We really appreciate the fact that the betting public was one with us in this issue, hindi sila nag-apura na mabalik kaagad ang karera. We think they believe what we were fighting for,” Tagle said.