Untie ‘Phisgoc’ kink

The Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Commission on Audit (CoA) are expected to delve into the funding question surrounding the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

This after the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) sought the two government agencies’ comments to determine the rightful and legal flow of the fund disbursement the government sports armed is to undertake.

Sports Commissioner Ramon Fernandez yesterday said PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez sought legal opinion as there are two separate bodies which are both claiming to be the organizing group for the Games.

The first is the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizational Committee Foundation Inc., a body composed of eight incorporators that include Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Ricky Vargas, secretary general Patrick Gregorio and communications director Ed Picson.

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is not part of the group’s incorporators.

In a Memorandum Circular issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, it stated that all government agencies, including the PSC, are mandated to provide support to the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizational Committee Foundation Inc. to make the country’s hosting of the Games a success.

But the POC executive board does not recognize this group.

The Olympic council, said the authority to organize the Games rests on the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, which is headed by Cayetano. It was the POC which sanctioned this version of the Phisgoc.

During its executive council meeting last week, the POC board unanimously affirmed the appointment of Cayetano as chairman of the organizing body.

Under the law, the PSC is mandated to provide financial support only to the POC and the national sports associations under its

Chang tumbles Saso

Chang put it all together, including her irons and short game, on another sweltering but windy day

Tzu-Yi Chang stole the thunder from fellow amateur Yuka Saso with a six-under 65 to wrest a one-stroke lead over the Fil-Japanese and Thai pro Arpichaya Yubol in the second round of the ICTSI Manila Golf Ladies Classic at the Manila Golf Club yesterday.

Unable to get going with shaky putting in a 72 start Wednesday, Chang finally put it all together, including her irons and short game, on another sweltering but windy day, birdying four of the last six holes at the front, highlighted by three straight from No. 6.

“Very good. My putting, irons and short game were in place,” said Chang, who used just 26 putts, seven less than what she did in the previous round, to move 18 holes away from snaring the crown with a 137 in the $100,000 event serving as the seventh leg of the seventh season of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

“The course has lots of slopes and you have to be extra careful to avoid getting into trouble,” added the 17-year-old Junior World veteran after churning out a personal-best card on a par-71 layout. “I shot 66 twice in Taiwan but this one is like a 66 because the course is par-71.”

In contrast, Saso struggled on the surface coming off a fiery windup that spiked her lead-grabbing 67, ending up with 34 putts marred by a three-putt miscue on No. 14. She settled for a 71 to slip to second at 138 with Yubol, who missed joining Chang at the helm with a bogey on the ninth for a 68.

But Saso and Yubol are expected to bring out the best — or worst — from Chang as they slug it out in the final group at 9 a.m. with the reigning Asian Games gold medalist hoping to uncork another strong finish that has anchored her exploits in the past, including in the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open here at MGC last February.

“I played good and enjoyed my game. That’s it,” said Saso, who however didn’t bother to predict what score she would need to reign again at MGC and record her third crown on the LPGT.

The course has lots of slopes and you have to be extra careful to avoid getting into trouble.

“I’m not concerned on what score to shoot but will just play and enjoy my game,” she said.

Japanese Mina Nakayama likewise tamed the frontside with a 34 for a 69 as she pressed her bid at 140, just three strokes off Chang heading to the final round of the event sponsored by ICTSI and co-sanctioned by the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) and Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

The rest could be too far behind with Noritomo of Japan (68), Thai Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro (71) and Taiwan’s Hsuan Chen, Yui (72) pooling identical 141s although anything can happen in a pressure-packed finale under such hot, windy conditions.

Babe Liu, the top-ranked player from the crack Taiwan side, also battled back with a 68 to gain solo eighth at even 142 while local ace Pauline del Rosario blew a birdie-birdie start at the back with a rollercoaster game, ending up with three more birdies but fumbling with six bogeys. She wound up with a 72 and fell to joint ninth at 143 with Thai Chommapat Pongthanarak (73) and Ching-Ling Chang of Taiwan (74).

Princess Superal checked her skid with two birdies in the last six at the front but the reigning Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion could only turn in a 72 and lay way behind at 146, nine strokes off the leader, with fellow pre-tournament favorite Yupaporn Kawinpakorn (74), Nemittra Juntanaket of Thailand (72) and Japanese Wakana Kinjo (72).

umbrella.

However, the first group was empowered by Medialdea’s

Memorandum Circular, which sent the PSC in a quandary as to which between the two groups should legally qualify to government support.

I think they are also confused with their respective positions.

“From what I gathered, it seems that there are two Phisgocs. Phisgoc, which is the ad hoc organizing committee, and the Phisgoc Foundation. That’s why what chairman (Ramirez) will do is to seek opinion from CoA and the DoJ to determine which we will support,” Fernandez said, adding that they are confused by the financial assistance requested by Phisgoc chief operating officer Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

“We are confused because he (Suzara) has been issuing letters seeking financial help, signing as executive something, sometimes as president, sometimes as COO. So, we have to ask them what is his true position? What group is he representing?”

“I think they are also confused with their respective positions.”

Fernandez said Ramirez appointed PSC executive director Merlita Ibay to coordinate with CoA while PSC deputy executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy will reach out to the DoJ.

In a previous statement, Vargas maintained that there is only one Phisgoc.

“There’s only one Phisgoc,” he said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum last Tuesday.

But Fernandez strongly dismissed his statement.

“How can he say that there’s only one Phisgoc when there are SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) papers showing that he is one of the incorporators,” he said.

The Bicameral Conference Committee approved a total of P5.3 billion for the country’s hosting of the Games.

The budget is already with President Rodrigo Duterte and is expected to be signed on Monday.

“Chairman (Ramirez) said that he would hold all the releases of budget pending opinion from the CoA and the DoJ. We’re just trying to be careful here.”