Aranas pushes for SEAG accounting

Archery chief Clint Aranas, who is running for the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) presidency, will push the issue of the full accounting of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) cost—“win or lose.”

But vice president Joey Romasanta, the volleyball head, said it’s unlikely the POC can begin accounting for anything, with a reported P800 million worth of unpaid accounts from the Philippine Southeast Asian Game Organizing Committee (Phisgoc).

“The problem here is that the POC should have had an oversight power, including [over] the finances,” said Aranas in a Zoom press conference. “But it never happened.”

The POC general assembly has recently set an Oct. 10 deadline for the Phisgoc to make its financial report.

Weightlifting’s Monico Puentevella said the issue won’t only influence the POC elections on Nov. 27 but could go all the way to the House of Representatives since House Speak Alan Peter Cayetano served as Phisgoc chief.

“Sooner or later, the Congress or even the senate will look into this,” said Romasanta. “We in the POC will have to show up and explain ourselves. So this is something we can’t ignore.”

POC president Bambol Tolentino, who is seeking reelection, didn’t see any cause for alarm and said he’s not in favor of the POC imposing an Oct. 10 deadline for the audit.

“The SEA Games organizing committee has its own accountability and I believe that is just and equitable the way we have successfully conducted the SEA Games,” said Tolentino in a statement.