MANILA, Philippines -- Philcycling, the country’s NAtional federation for bike sports, is asking a group of protesting riders to file their complaint with proper authorities to get to the bottom of an equipment controversy regarding the most recent Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

In a press release sent to media offices, PhilCycling said it is encouraging “investigations on the acquisition of bicycles and equipment the government purchased for the use of cyclists who competed in the 24th Southeast Asian Games in December 2007.”

PhilCycling president Bert Lina said the federation will actively participate in the investigations provided they are conducted by proper bodies.

The statement comes at the heels of a statement by a group of cyclists who have accused the federation of not properly distributing to them bicycles and equipment worth P2.2 million. The cyclists maintain that the bikes used during the SEA Games were overpriced.

PhilCycling, in the statement, clarified its side in the issue.

PhilCycling said it “merely made recommendations to the Task Force for the 24th SEA Games, an ad hoc body composed of representatives from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), for the bicycle and equipment requirement for the Thailand Games.”

Initially, the PhilCycling requested for P3.2 million in bicycles and equipment, but the Task Force drastically cut it to P1.8 million because of financial constraints.

With a little haggling, PhilCycling managed to raise the Task Force financial commitment to P2.2 million but it still needed to “make necessary but equally drastic adjustments in the specifications of the equipment.”

The PSC took over from there, specifically in the canvass and bidding and eventually in the awarding process. The PhilCycling, for its part, merely monitored the progress of the acquisition especially on the delivery dates as well as to the conformation to specifications of the equipment purchased.

The PhilCycling does not get direct financial assistance from the PSC. All bicycles and equipment, including uniforms, from the PSC go directly to the cyclists and coaches.

PhilCycling has gradually improved the country’s performance in the SEA Games. From the one gold medal won in Vietnam in 2003, two gold medals were clinched in 2005 and this was doubled to four gold medals in the 2007 Thailand edition.