Hundreds of overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, faced with the misery of spending Christmas away from home, have reportedly been rescued by Cathay Pacific Airways. The poor harried workers were dumped by Peya, a travel agency which collected but failed to endorse tickets reserved in advance.
It will be a merry Christmas after all, as Cathay Pacific agreed to offer discounted fares and field larger planes to accommodate stranded homesick Filipinos in the Crown Colony.
In basketball, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) reeled through trouble and terrible pressure before finally launching its 43rd season at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. There was no fanfare after the new PBA season took off minus a working commissioner.
Of course, there was reason to cheer after the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas had made a successful bid for the country’s hosting of the Fiba World Cup in 2023, a truly historic feat.
Meanwhile, in keeping with the season, a court has ordered the imperious Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to hold new elections for its set of officers.
Judge Maria Garcia Cadiz-Casaclang of the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 155 declared null and void the POC polls of Nov. 16, 2016, when POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. ran unopposed for his fourth straight term.
Judge Casaclang ordered new POC elections on Feb. 23, 2018, to include Ricky Vargas and Abraham Tolentino, who were disqualified in 2016, to run as president and chair, respectively.
As expected, Cojuangco readily cried “government intervention.” He said the court order could put the country’s membership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in jeopardy.
Cojuangco’s dreaded impotent reign at the POC continues to be slammed by various sectors, countless fans and concerned sports authorities.
“If Peping Cojuangco could suddenly believe that sports can be saved by giving way to others, then we get to have a change in leadership,” said the trusted hard-hitting sports columnist Ding Marcelo.
“But if he plays hard ball, it will be a continued long dark night for Philippine sports again,” Marcelo added.