Phisgoc only got fraction of P6B budget

The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) claimed that it never received the entire P6 billion government funding for the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Phisgoc president and chief operating officer Ramon Suzara said on Wednesday the organizing committee received only P1.481 billion from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and is close to completing a full audit of that amount.

“We clarify that out of the total P6-billion Philippine government budget for the 30th SEA Games under GAA (General Appropriations Act) 2019, the PSC has only provided the amount of P1.481B as financial support to the organizing committee,’’ Suzara wrote in a letter sent to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) secretary general Edwin Gastanes.

According to Suzara, the remaining P4.52 billion was remitted to the Department of Budget Management-Procurement Service and a certain amount to POC.

He added that part of the budget was used by the PSC for the equipment and services utilized for the 11-nation meet held at New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, in Subic and Metro Manila.

“The PSC has only completed remitting this amount to Phisgoc on Sept. 4, from which we settled the lawful and valid obligations incurred for the hosting covered by said financial support,’’ said Suzara, who issued the clarification after lawyer Clint Aranas, a POC board member and the chief of the fencing federation, and athletics chief Philip Ella Juico bared their intention to file charges against certain POC officials, including its president, Abraham Tolentino.

Aranas is seeking the POC presidency against Tolentino in polls scheduled on Nov. 27.

Aranas and Juico have been asking Phisgoc to provide an audited financial report on the expenses of the SEA Games.