Nikki insists Joseph must go

MANILA, Philippines - Former Sen. Nikki Coseteng yesterday said she’s not interested in Philippine Aquatic Sports Association president Mark Joseph’s position even as she renewed her call for the embattled PASA chief to resign and give the sport a fresh start.

“I’m saying this again. I’m not after the position. Not even as a board member (of PASA),” said the former senator. “Any talk of this is just a figment of imagination by a panic-stricken, desperate creature.”

Coseteng, who has taken the cudgels for the group headed by former national swimmer Susan Papa in calling for Joseph’s resignation for mismanagement and money laundering, also belittled Joseph’s claims that there was nothing illegal in his receipt of P34 million from Pagcor in 2009.

She said the law provides that Pagcor funds intended for an NSA (national sports association) should be coursed to the PSC which did not happen in the case of PASA.

The Pagcor funds were allegedly funneled from PASA to a private company owned by the former Pagcor chair.

Coseteng’s group has recently filed corruption and money laundering charges with the Ombudsman against the former Pagcor chair Efraim Genuino, some other former Pagcor officials and Joseph.

But Joseph said Coseteng’s group want to take over PASA.

“My accusations have been very, very clear from the start and with concrete basis,” said Coseteng, also the owner of Diliman Preparatory School.

“I’m only doing this for the sake of our young swimmers. I only want to help swimming to shine again and get rid of a corrupt, inept management,” she added.

Joseph has denied committing any act of graft and corruption. He maintained that all the money was spent for the benefit of the athletes and that he has not in any way benefited from these funds which Pagcor paid directly to the PASA.

Coseteng also debunked Joseph claims that there’s no basis for (Coseteng’s) group to say that PASA under Joseph’s watch has failed to deliver especially in international competitions.

“Stats don’t lie. In 2003, the Phl was the overall champion in the South East Asian Age Group Swimming Competitions and finished runner-up the next year. But when he took over in 2005, the country ended up second to last and then finished dead last in 2006,” said Coseteng.

Records also showed that the country won just three gold medals in the 2007 edition of the event from a high of 26 in 2003. The country won seven gold medals in 2008 but wound up second to last again in 2009.

Coseteng also cited Jasmine Alkhaldi’s three gold, one-silver and one bronze medal feat in the recent SEA Age Group tilt in Vietnam where the Phl came up with just four gold medals overall with five silvers and eight bronzes to finish dead last with 17 medals.

Thailand ruled the event with 114, including 46 golds, while Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia took 13, 10, 14 and nine golds, respectively.