Garcia to PATAFA coaches: Allowances of other mentors frozen too

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia on Thursday said they have not singled out athletics when they suspended the allowances of national track and field team coaches Joseph Sy and Roselyn Monroyo.

In fact, Garcia said they've also froze the monthly stipends of other coaches in volleyball, swimming, dragon boat and wrestling while warning other athletes from sailing and canoe kayak due to allegations of forging their attendance sheet.

"No, we're just doing our job in making sure that coaches do their job properly," Garcia told The STAR when asked if the government sports-funding agency has vented its wrath only on Sy and Hamero.

"Public funds are being used to pay their allowance so we're making sure that every sent that we shell out is well spent," he added.

Garcia's reaction came after the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association has threatened to take legal action against the PSC for removing the allowances of Sy and Hamero starting this month.

Sy and Hamero were dropped from the PSC payroll for various reasons, among them for alleged falsification of documents and prolonged absences from the PSC training camp in Baguio.

In an eight-page memo from the PSC board, Sy, who coaches St. Benilde’s track and field squad on the side, was accused of failing to supervise the training of elite athletes in Baguio and allegedly staying most of the time in Manila, leaving the national team members to train on their own.

Hamero, for her part, was being accused of forging the signature of PATAFA secretary-general Benjamin Silva-Netto, falsifying hurdler Josie Malacad’s qualifying time for her to make the roster to the 2011 Indonesia SEAG.

Both Sy and Hamero, who have lost a monthly salary of P20,000 each, denied the allegations.