POC President Peping Cojuangco. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Pulling off the Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines will be next to impossible without government support.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. has taken cognizance of this fact and personally wrote President Duterte on Monday to reconsider the government’s decision to skip the 2019 hosting.
Cojuangco made the last-ditch appeal after majority of the national sports associations agreed to seek an audience with the President.
Philippine Sports Commission Chair Butch Ramirez earlier announced the cancellation of the hosting due to the ongoing crisis in Marawi City.
“The POC fully supports the government’s position to focus its resources on the rehabilitation of Marawi,” said Cojuangco.
“We need the 2019 SEA Games to help generate more tourism receipts and invite leisure and business travelers from around the world.”