INQUIRER Sports

VIENTIANE, Laos ? Whatever they say that there are two Philippine delegations competing in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in this young, half-developed republic?the campaign must be waged solidly by one united national contingent.

The fight belongs to the Philippine Olympic Committee, no more, no less.

For the record, Team Philippines flew to this city on two chartered Philippine Airlines flights?PR 581 and PR 583?on Sunday morning.

The first jet, chartered by the Philippine Sports Commission, touched down at the Wattay International Airport shortly after 10 a.m. here.

The second flight, bearing more athletes and the top officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee, arrived 30 minutes later.

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Funny, but even before the RP contingent could leave for this campaign, there were already insinuations of a childish division within Team Philippines.

Out there at the Centennial 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport early last Sunday, as members of the national contingent prepared to check in for the flight to Laos, not a few members were overheard asking which contingent the other ones belonged.

The questions went thus: Are you with the Philippine Olympic Committee team? Or are you for the Republic of the Philippine Sports Commission?

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The needless classification became inevitable after PSC chair Harry Angping stood firm on his decision to support and fund only athletes who had passed the original criteria set by a special committee formed for the SEA Games participation.

Later, POC president Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco insisted that other promising athletes, mainly those in the so-called developmental pool, should also be made to compete in the Laos Games.

What followed were taunts and accusations that further fueled a feud between the heads of the two main national sports bodies.

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Anyway, to make the long story short, Angping stood his ground and proceeded to charter a flight for the so-called PSC group, while providing members of the contingent all their needs.

Meanwhile, Cojuangco also played it firm, solicited funds and, before they knew it, had also chartered a separate flight for the so-called POC contingent to campaign in the 25th SEA Games that involve a total of 13 countries.

This, folks, is the story behind the so-called two separate republics competing for the Philippines in the Laos Games.

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For the record, members of the RP contingent, who headed for their quarters on separate buses, ended up housed in a single apartment, unit A-4, in the spanking, freshly built Games Village.

Shortly after noon on Sunday, after members of the RP delegation had taken their lunch in the Games Dining Hall, Cojuangco, with top POC officials led by chef de mission Mario Tanchangco, was seen making a check at the quarters of the Filipino athletes here.

?He was unable to see them personally, because the athletes were having their siesta,? said Consul Jovencio L. Agus, acting as National Olympic Committee attaché.

He said Cojuangco instead held an impromptu meeting with his POC team, before moving to the dining hall area for another spot check.

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Now, they were also asking if Cojuangco, in reviewing conditions at the Athletes? Village, had also intended to check on the allegiance of the other members of the RP contingent.

They were also wondering if Angping, in swallowing his pride and offering to stay behind after getting no invitation from the POC to attend the Games, humbly agreed to take a beating?

Nothing has been heard from Angping, so far.

At least, his decision to stay behind has left the RP expedition here with a single captain.

This now, pure and simple, is Cojuangco?s ballgame.