With P7.5-billion budget released soon, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will now spearhead the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games this November.

PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez announced that the funding will be lodged under the agency’s account and he, as PSC chief, was bestowed a more active role in organizing the prestigious biennial meet.

Together with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Ricky Vargas, Ramirez sits as co-chairman of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc), which is headed by the former Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano.

But in the budget deliberation late last year, Deputy House Speaker Prospero Pichay and other lawmakers scrutinized the budget proposal, saying the amount is too much compared with the P350 million the country spent in the previous SEA Games in 2005.

Sen. Franklin Drilon also said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is not the rightful agency to receive the SEA Games budget since it is not mandated to organize and host any international sports tournament.

Incumbent DFA chief Teddy Boy Locsin also chimed in and stressed that he will not receive the amount as Cayetano had planned. He said the budget should be lodged under the account of the government sports agency, which is the PSC.

And with the budget proposal expected to be formally approved next week, Ramirez vowed that he is ready to step up and make sure that its disbursement is in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit (CoA).

“I already told my commissioners that I will be now focusing on the Southeast Asian Games preparation together with my ED (executive director), DED (deputy executive director) and other directors,” said Ramirez during a press briefing the PSC main office yesterday.

“The Senate told us that the money would be given to the PSC. Once it is already under our account, it becomes government fund and we will be very careful with its disbursement and subject the funds to CoA’s accounting rules and regulations.”

“The budget that the Phisgoc will request will all be subjected to PSC evaluation,” he added.

Ramirez said he has a good idea on how to disburse SEA Games fund.

He was also on top of the government sports agency the last time the country hosted the SEA Games in 2005. Former POC boss Jose “Peping” Cojuangco tapped him to help former First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo with the fund-raising, training and preparation of the athletes en route to the country’s first overall title.

Ramirez admitted that there are a lot of issues hounding the country’s SEA Games preparation.

Aside from Phisgoc having no financial resources, they are also having delays in processing the procurement of equipment since it is covered by CoA rules.

So far, only 25 of the 56 participating national sports associations (NSAs) have formally filed their respective requests for budget and equipment while the rest are still under the scrutiny of Phisgoc executives.

Ramirez said time is running out because there will be a 45-day ban on government procurement and disbursement prior to the mid-term elections this May.

“I have so much respect on the leadership of Sec. Alan Cayetano and POC president Ricky Vargas. But today, I am compelled to actively participate in making the Southeast Asian Games a success,” he said, hinting of a possible reorganization in the current Phisgoc structure.

“I will intervene from the executive director to all the way down. After all, we are releasing the money. So, we will assure you that the government procurement rules will be enforced and we will seek the advice of CoA in every single move that we will make.”