Marho: Philracom misled public on trainers funds

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Racing Commission chairman Angel Castaño Jr. is misleading the public by citing a law enacted in 1948 that has been superseded by a Republic Act in 1965 and a Presidential Decree in 1974 as his basis for refusing to remove the three percent trainers’ funds from the winnings of horse owners.

So said re-elected Manila Congressman Amado Bagatsing yesterday, adding he will propose a congressional inquiry into the various issues surrounding the impasse between the Philracom and the country’s three major racing groups that has led to a racing holiday.

The Marho, Philtobo and Klub Don Juan, the three major racing groups in the country, have raised various issues against the Philracom, among them the major decline in sales and from where the three percent trainers’ funds should be sourced. Republic Act No. 6115, enacted on Aug. 4, 1995, explicitly states the funding from the trainers’ funds should not come from the winnings of horse owners but from the 1.2 percent share of the prizes.

Under Presidential Decree No. 420, enacted on March 20, 1974, that created the Philracom, the trainers’ fund was raised to three percent but this must again come from the prizes, not from the winnings of horseowners.

The horseowners want the Philracom to stick to the law.

In his response to the horseowners’ move for a racing holiday last Monday in protest over the Philracom’s failure to address their complaints and requests, Castano cited Republic Act 309, enacted into law on June 18, 1948, saying: “That fund (trainers) is mandated by law way back in 1948 and we can’t abolish it just like that. Under the law, we are mandated to have that fund exist for the health, injury and retirement benefits of the horse trainers.”

Castano failed to mention the fact the Philracom is mandated to source the funds for the trainers elsewhere.

Although the new Congress will convene only on June 30, 2013, Bagatsing said “there are exceptions in special cases like this,” adding he intends to start the ball rolling as possible to “resolve the problems” now plaguing the industry.

He said the Philracom is misleading the public, the trainers, and even President Aquino for its wrong interpretation of the law.

The racing holiday called by the three major racing groups, which account for at least 2,500 horses in the country, continued to gain ground yesterday, with all their members boycotting the races at the Sta. Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.

Under the orders of the Philracom, the racing clubs, particularly Sta. Ana and the Manila Jockey Club, have put up makeshift races to make it appear everything is normal in the industry, calling into action horses that are either “on vacation for a long time now” or injured, according to MARHO president Eric Tagle.