NSAs fail to clear P126-million

A total of P126 million has yet to be liquidated by various national sports associations (NSAs), a development that could seriously hamper the country’s participation in the 18th Asian Games.

Based on the official list of unliquidated expenses as of June 18 obtained by Daily Tribune, the Philippine Sailing Association (PSA) and Philippine Sports Association for Differently Able (Philspada) top the list of federations with unliquidated expenses with P14 and P12.2 million respectively.

They were followed by the Wrestling Association of the Philippines (P8.2 million), while the Integrated Cycling of the Philippines has P8.1 million and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and Philippine Swimming, Inc. have yet to be cleared of their past expenses worth P6.9 million each.

The Philippine Football Federation has P6-million financial obligation while the defunct Philippine Volleyball Association has also yet to settle P5.6 million.

The only federations with no unliquidated expenses are Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines, Jiu-jitsu Federation of the Philippines, Inc., Larong Hockey ng Pilipinas, Inc., Philippine Amateur Baseball Association, Philippine Badminton Association, Philippine Bowling Federation, Philippine Fencing, Inc., Philippine Finswimming Federation, Inc., Philippine Handball Federation, Inc., Philippine Rowing Association, Philippine Tournament Bridge Association, Philippine Underwater Hockey and Philippine Windsurfing Association, Inc.

Philippine Sports Commissioner Ramon Fernandez maintained that they will not release additional funding to NSAs with unliquidated expenses, including medal-rich boxing, athletics and taekwondo.

The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines, Inc. has yet to liquidate P1.6 million while the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association and Philippine Taekwondo Association still have outstanding unliquidated expenses of P3 million and P3.8 million, respectively.

“We don’t want COA (Commission on Audit) to run after us,” he said. “We want to help them, but the ‘no liquidation, no financial assistance’ policy is strongly being enforced by COA,” Fernandez said.

In a letter sent recently, COA again reminded the PSC not to release funding to federations with dues.

“We recommend that the PSC board of commissioners to require the acting head, NSA Affairs Office to discontinue the processing of the request for new / additional FA (financial assistance) to NSAs with unliquidated advances,” the state auditing firm said.

“Likewise, we strongly recommend that PSC board of commissioners to stop the grant of additional FA to NSAs with unliquidated accounts,” it added.