Is Phisgoc no more?

Emotions are expected to fly as the powerful Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Executive Council convenes today to decide on the legitimacy of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), chief organizer of the country’s hosting of the 30th SEA Games.

The crucial meeting is set at 1 p.m. at the POC office at the Philsports compound with no less than POC chairman Abraham Tolentino and POC president Ricky Vargas in attendance.

Other council members such as first vice president Joey Romasanta, second vice president Jeff Tamayo, treasurer Julian Camacho, auditor Jonnie Go, board members Cynthia Carrion, Prospero Pichay and Robert Mananquil, International Olympic Committee representative Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and secretary general Patrick Gregorio are also expected to attend.

Past immediate president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco stressed that he will be attending before flying to the United States later in the day for his annual medical checkup.

But the discussions are tipped to become testy among the sports leaders.

A Daily Tribune source said the group of Pichay met over lunch at a posh hotel in Pasig City last Wednesday to plot the calls they will make today.

The consensus of the group, which already clinched the

How can we recognize a body that will take over our functions? It doesn’t make any sense.

support of majority in the executive board, is to reduce the organizing body into a mere committee under the wings of the local Olympic council. It is the POC that is mandated by the Southeast Asian Games Federation Council to run and organize the SEA Games in the country, not the Phisgoc.

The source said Phisgoc was “wrongfully done” and the POC board members couldn’t accept its existence because it collides against three bodies: the Philippine Sports Commission, the Commission on Audit and the SEA Games Federation Council.

Daily Tribune obtained a copy of Phisgoc’s Articles of Incorporation filed before the Securities and Exchange Commission on 27 June last year and it shows that the organizing body has overlapping functions with the POC.

One of these was “to undertake the necessary preparation for the hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games to be held in the Philippines in the year 2019, as well as other future games as may be hosted by the Philippines.”

The Phisgoc could not be the organizing body for other future events, they said.

The papers also said the Phisgoc was created to “receive all income and funds derived from the holding of the 30th SEA Games and such games, and be responsible for its disbursement.”

The Articles of Incorporation would be valid for the next 50 years.

A ranking POC official found it unacceptable.

“The purposes of Phisgoc are very clear — they want to take over the functions of the POC. How can we recognize a body that will take over our functions? It doesn’t make any sense,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity for lack of authority to speak on behalf of Pichay’s group.

“We would be in trouble with the PSC, CoA and SEA Games Federation Council if we recognize the existence of Phisgoc. That’s why on Friday, we will all move for the creation of a SEA Games organizing committee under the POC. We may hire Phisgoc people again, but we certainly couldn’t recognize its existence as an entity that is completely different from the POC.”

The purposes of Phisgoc are very clear — they want to take over the functions of the POC.

“As far as I know, the POC is the ‘owner’ of the SEA Games as mandated by the SEA Games Federation Council — not the Phisgoc.”

Vargas, who was accused of doling out P7.2 million of POC fund to Phisgoc to cover the salary of its employees without POC board approval, is one of the body’s eight original incorporators.

Also listed were Gregorio, POC communications director Edgar Picson, Ramon Suzara, Donaldo Caringal, Tomas Carrasco, Dexter Estacio and Monica Ann Mitra.

Phisgoc chairman Alan Peter Cayetano is not among the incorporators.

“If you look closely at the incorporators of Phisgoc, only three of them are from the POC. Out of those three, only two are executive board members. The rest? Well, we don’t know them,” the source said.

“Mr. Vargas has to explain their involvement in Phisgoc. He has to convince us why they have to create an organizing body that is completely different from the POC.”

The source also admitted that they could no longer redo what Phisgoc had already done. They, however, will carefully review all the contracts Phisgoc has entered into,

“All contracts that Phisgoc entered into must be carefully reviewed,” he said. “We are not doing this because we are against Phisgoc or Mr. Vargas, but because we want to protect everybody from court cases.”

“Remember, our budget in the 2005 SEA Games was only P350 million, but P27 million was disallowed by CoA. Now, we have a budget of P5 billion. If we make a mistake of mismanaging P50 million, it would constitute to plunder.”

“And that’s something we don’t want to happen.”