INQUIRER Sports

THE PHILIPPINE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE welcomed a Senate inquiry into the cycling fiasco at the recent 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos.

POC spokesperson Joey Romasanta said the inquiry, endorsed by Sen. Pia Cayetano, would give the local Olympic body a chance to refute allegations by cyclist Marites Bitbit, who blamed the POC for her failure to compete in Laos.

Bitbit, the defending champion in the women?s road race, reportedly told Cayetano that POC president Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco Jr. was among those who ?pressured? her to withdraw from the competitions.

?This is an opportunity for us to set the record straight,? Romasanta quoted Cojuangco as saying. ?It?s something that will put every thing in order.?

Earlier reports said the 31-year-old Bitbit signed a manifesto sympathizing with the 12 other members of the cycling squad who were barred from participating in the SEA Games because they belonged to a cycling federation not recognized by the world governing body in cycling, Union Cycliste Internationale, but has the blessing of the POC.

Bitbit, who was eligible to race as a member of the UCI-recognized national cycling body headed by Tagaytay Mayor Abraham ?Bambol? Tolentino, later claimed that she was forced by the POC to sign the declaration withdrawing the cyclists from the competition.

?It?s all on record. What?s there to worry about?? said Romasanta, quoting Cojuangco.

Romasanta explained that Bitbit personally appealed to Cojuangco to let her compete only after the manifesto declaring the pullout of the RP cycling squad was submitted to the SEAG Federation.

?We hope she tells the truth (during the Senate hearing),? said Romasanta.