Pabillore questioned PSC ouster

Manila, Philippines - Marna Pabillore, a two-time SEA Games gold medalist in karate, yesterday aired her grievances and questioned her impending ouster from the national pool.

“I have yet to receive a formal suspension or memo,” said the 30-year-old karateka, gold winner in the 2005 and 2009 SEAG and silver medalist in the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

Pabillore, competing in the -55 kg kumite, spoke to the media following reports of her alleged boycott, along with 12 others, of the ongoing Philippine National Games in Bacolod.

She said there was no intention for her and the group to boycott the PNG, saying they went there because they knew the event serves as qualifier to this year’s SEA Games in Indonesia.

But once they got there, they were told that the event was only open to karatekas aged 17 to 26, and anyone older than that will have to compete in the open class with no weight limit.

It was when she and the other members of their group, including SEA Games medalists, decided to skip the games rather than face each other in the open weight class.

“We thought the 17 to 26 years limit were only for the newcomers hoping to upstage us members of the national team. Besides, there’s no open weight class in the SEA Games,” she said.

“Ang gusto nila kami ang magbugbugan at baka ma-injure pa kami (They wanted us to slug it out among ourselves and risk facing injuries,” said Pabillore.

Sharing the same sentiment were Renato Manalo, Joel Gonzaga, Rolando Lagman Jr., Noel Espinosa, Jan Paul Morales, Raymund Mejico, Afif Sharif, Ricky Elinon, Gierby Lacorte, Ace Eso, Lutche Metante and Marvin Bucol.

They are all facing ouster from the national team, and losing their monthly allowances from the Philippine Sports Commission, ranging from P6,000 to P15,000.

They all want to appeal their case before the PSC.

“How can they remove me from the national pool when I have a higher grading than the others wanting to take my place?” said Gonzaga (-84 kg men’s kumite).

“They want me out because they say I’m already old. But how can I be removed from the pool when I am still better than the younger ones?” said Manalo, 33.

Pabillore said they didn’t mind whoever ends up as head of the Philippine Karatedo Federation, which recently went through a bitter leadership dispute.

“We don’t care if it was Mr. Go Teng Kok or Mr. Joey Romasanta, or the new PFK president, Dr. Enrique Vasquez. All we want is to have Raymund Lee Reyes and David Lay removed,” she said.

They accused Reyes, the secretary-general, and Lay, the head coach, of favoring the karatekas who sided with Romasanta at the height of the dispute.

“We want to be heard,” Pabillore added.

But PSC chairman Richie Garcia said there’s nothing to talk about.

“They have nothing to explain for because the NSA has already removed them from the pool,” he said.

Romasanta lashed back at the group, saying they boycotted the PNG when they learned that they were not seeded to the national team to this year’s SEA Games.