Bachmann to POC, COA: Let’s sit down

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann yesterday said he is ready to sit down and work with the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Commission on Audit to find a solution to the controversial unliquidated issue from the 1998 Asian Games.

“To move forward, ang importante, the PSC and POC to sit down and discuss these issues from a long time ago and see if we can liquidate. If we cannot liquidate, then let’s find a way with COA guidelines and see how we can work together,” Bachmann said at a press conference yesterday.

Bachmann broke his silence two days after POC president Abraham Tolentino slammed the PSC for the issuance of the notice on the unliquidated balance of P10 million from 25 years back just as Team Philippines was waging battle in the Asiad in Hangzhou.

The PSC chief clarified that it was the COA itself, not the government sports body, that issued the said letter.

“COA operates independently from the PSC,” he said of the government entity that has an in-house unit within the PSC.

He stressed that he himself has been receiving notices from the COA regarding unliquidated matters of various national sports associations (NSAs).

“I have no control over that (timing) and I haven’t seen it (COA notice to POC). Maybe if I had seen it, maybe I could have stopped it (from being issued during the Asian Games),” he added.

The timing may be a bit off but Bachmann saw no malice or intent to distract the Hangzhou campaign or as Tolentino claimed, “drive a wedge” and stab his back with the COA communication.

“The PSC doesn’t believe that COA intended it to be a distraction and neither was it the PSC’s. The PSC only has wholehearted support and encouragement especially from the PSC secretariat in China, my commissioners and myself.

“All our Asian Games participating athletes – medalists and non-medalists – themselves can hopefully attest to this. No wedge has been driven anywhere and no back has been stabbed. From the start, we only are (being) transparent and trying to preserve our integrity as mandated by COA regulations and PSC policy with considerations from the board,” he added.

Bachmann shared that even before the uproar on the 1998 Asiad assistance came out, he was already trying to set a meeting with COA officials to thresh out unliquidated problems of different NSAs.

“When we do board meetings and we get all these financial assistance requests and I get reports from COA, oh itong NSA may problema, unliquidated. When I review it 2000 pa, 1998. Wala ba tayong magagawa dito? Parang this is not my time, why am I being bothered, slowed down in financing all these NSA by (unliquidated issues from) 10, 15, 20 years (ago)?”

“Pero by law, that’s the job of the COA so works hand in hand. I guess we have to sit down with COA. Since I got here I’ve been trying to get a meeting with the commissioners of COA,” he said.