Castaño won’t quit, racing row deepens

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Racing Commission chairman Angel Castaño said he is not stepping down from his post contrary to what the big group of disgruntled racehorse owners had hoped for.

“That resignation was a product of our meeting last Friday when I told them I would step down if they stop all the negative publicity against the Philracom,” Castaño told The STAR yesterday.

“But they’re still on it. The Philracom is under the Office of the President and this has already been very damaging. I will be stupid to resign now. I will fight to the last,” said Castaño.

Members of the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners (Marho), Philippine Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Organization (Philtobo) and Klub Don Juan de Manila are up in arms.

They have called for Castaño’s resignation over the latter’s refusal to stop deducting and moving three percent of their winnings to the trainers’ funds.

The racehorse owners insist that Philracom, according to Republic Act No. 6115 of Aug. 4, 1995, should source the trainers’ funds from elsewhere and not from their winnings.

But Castaño is citing Republic Act 309 of 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.”

The racehorse owners said RA309 has already been superseded by RA6115, and Castano should stick to it.

“I cannot do that. I understand their plight and that the cost of keeping racehorses has gone up. Perhaps we can lower it but not totally stop it,” he said.

In anticipation of Castaño’s supposed resignation yesterday, the racehorse owners called on their members to end the “racing holiday” and declare their horses ready for the races this weekend.

“They were not successful with the boycott,” Castaño said.

The racehorse owners group known as “Tri-Org” have boycotted the races since Tuesday of last week, but the Philracom has managed to hold races with limited entries.

Castaño said last week’s sales are down to P110 million from the previous P160 million, and it has greatly affected the industry and the small people who depend on it.

“Madami dito mga isang-kahig isang-tuka (There are a lot of people in the industry poor) and no races mean no income for them,” said Castaño, who suggested to the racehorse owners that they instead write President Aquino.

“They should write the President and let him decide if he was wrong in appointing certain people to the Philracom. But that’s our plan, too. We will seek an audience with the President.”

In Friday’s meeting, Castaño said he faced eight members of the “Tri-Org” and was told that it would be better for him to resign than be put in a “very embarrassing situation.”

“It was almost like a threat. Medyo bumigay ako. So I told them I would file my resignation on June 12, even irrevocably, huwag na lang humaba ito,” he said.

Present during the meeting were Marho president Eric Tagle, Philtobo president Bienvenido Niles Jr., KDJM president Antonio Eleazar, horse owners Sandy Javier, Hermie Esguerra, Putch Puyat, Marho secretary Dondon Bagatsing and Manila Congressman Amado Bagatsing.

“I told them, ‘If you’re after my neck I will convene the board and just to satisfy you I will tender my resignation wag n’yo lang ituloy ang demolition job,’” said Castaño.

“But they went on. So I told my board, lumaban na tayo up to the last. Ginawa na nila sa akin ‘to eh. I am not resigning,” he added.