For House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, there’s nothing wrong with receiving government fund through a foundation in organizing the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Cayetano, the chairman of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), yesterday debunked the claim of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who stated that the transfer of P1.5-billion government fund to the Phisgoc Foundation is similar to the case of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Speaking to the Christian community at the 44th anniversary of the Philippine National Prayer Breakfast held in San Juan City Thursday, Cayetano said there was nothing irregular in the transfer of funds by the Philippine Sports Commission to Phisgoc Foundation.

Actually, it was the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) under the leadership of Jose “Peping” Cojuangco that created Phisgoc as an ad hoc committee tasked to organize the Games.

SPORTS legends Akiko Thomson-Guevara, Efren Reyes, Paeng Nepomuceno, Bong Coo, Lydia de Vega-Mercado, Mansueto Velasco and Alvin Patrimonio will grace the opening ceremonies of the 30th SEA Games.

But when Cojuangco stepped down following a court-ordered election in February of last year, his successor in Ricky Vargas together with former POC chairman Tom Carrasco, former POC communications director Ed Picson, former POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio and four other Cayetano associates incorporated Phisgoc into a foundation in June 2018 based on its Articles of Incorporation obtained by Daily Tribune.

The move didn’t sit well with the POC executive board and demanded explanation from Vargas, who later on stepped down that paved the way for the election of Abraham Tolentino.

Still, Phisgoc continued to operate and spearheaded the hosting while the POC — the franchise holder of the Games — was limited to managing the technical aspects of the biennial meet.

Lacson questioned the formation of the foundation, saying that it was similar to the model of Napoles, who created non-government organizations to receive money that would fund

Bowlers vow gallant stand

We’re not promising anything, but we will surely give other teams a very good fight

National bowlers vowed to come up with a strong performance when they see action in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Philippine Bowling Federation (PBF) secretary general Bong Coo said they are looking at winning at least two gold medals in the prestigious biennial tourney set from 3 to 8 December at the Coronado Lanes inside Starmall in Mandaluyong City.

A legendary bowler who is

known for winning six gold

medals in the country’s first

hosting of the Games in 1981,

Coo said she is pinning her

hopes on veterans Liza del Rosario

and Frederick Ong as well as rising star Merwin Tan.

Del Rosario has been campaigning internationally for more than two decades while Ong is the last player to win a gold medal in the SEA Games after ruling the men’s singles event of the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia in 2011.

The 19-year-old Tan, for his part, is the Asian youth champion and is tipped to give the keglers from powerhouse countries like Singapore and Malaysia a run for their money.

Rounding out the team are Patrick Nuqui, Kenneth Chua, Lara Posadas-Wong, Alexis Sy and Bea Hernandez.

“We’re not promising anything, but we will surely give other teams a very good fight,” said Coo, whose wards had an intensive international

projects of various government agencies.

But Cayetano insisted that everything was

aboveboard.

“You know, I’m willing to undergo a lie detector

test, the three of us, and I can look anyone in the eye because I didn’t take even a single cent. In fact, we even doled out our personal fund for this,” Cayetano said.

“In the case of Napoles, the delivery was fake. She took away the money. It wasn’t a crime that she organized a foundation or that she received government money.”

“He (Lacson) is the chairman of accounts of the Senate. He holds Senate’s fund. Is there any wrongdoing? No, but if I say that it looks like Napoles, there must be something wrong there.”

Amid criticisms against Phisgoc over budget and logistical issues ranging from accommodation to food served to athletes, Cayetano said there are no irregularities in the

MERWIN Tan is tipped to deliver in the 30th SEA Games.

staging of the multi-sporting event.

In the case of Napoles, the delivery was fake.

“There are no irregularities. Despite that, with our promise for transparency, we will face all investigations,” he said,

“On 12 December, hold me accountable. Hold the SEA Games organizing committee accountable. I will not hide. I will face it.”

Lacson, however, clarified that he didn’t accused Cayetano of corruption.

“Nobody is saying that Phisgoc has committed corruption. We’re not there yet,” Lacson posted on his social media account.

“What’s evident so far are the complaints aired by the athletes which projects incompetence and inefficiencies that the President, no less, wants to rectified and investigated.”