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Sunday, August 24, 2003
Gab to ‘show teeth’ in WV
A WORD of caution to sports organizers: Beware of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).
The stern warning goes out to sports associations and local government units in Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental which still continue to give out cash prizes to ‘amateur’ athletes despite several notices not to.
But GAB, an agency directly under the Office of the President, is still sympathetic in saying that LGUs and sports associations would still be given ‘enough’ time to comply with the agency’s requirements which they tend to either not understand or neglect altogether.
Speaking before participants in what could be considered as the first of a series of talks regarding GAB’s mandate to regulate professional sports in the country, GAB Chairman Eduardo Villanueva appealed to LGUs and sports organizations to refrain from giving out cash prizes and monetary awards to non-professional athletes.
Villanueva was in Bacolod City Friday during the GAB Region VI Sports Forum at Casa Noble Restaurant to clear the cloud of doubt as to what could be bestowed during non-professional tournaments.
With Villanueva were Commissioners Emmanuel Palabrica and Angel Bautista, Regional Consultant Eliseo Angeles and Official Ringside Physician Dr. Nasser Cruz.
Villanueva stressed the importance of coordinating with GAB in the conduct of professional sports such as basketball, golf, boxing, even cycling and table tennis.
He noted that even at present, there are still individuals who do not understand that giving out of cash prizes to amateur athletes is strictly prohibited.
There is a great difference between ‘professionalism’ and ‘amateurism,’ said Villanueva.
On the other hand, a cash prize, stressed Palabrica, is allowable only to professional athletes or those who engage in the play-for-pay manner who earn their keeps through professional sports.
Aside from that, other topics tackled were the LGUs’ obligation to have the various sports organizations under them secure licenses with GAB which has its Bacolod Office at Convention Plaza Hotel, in front of the Bacolod City Police Office; and securing applications or renewal of requirements for promoters, managers and referees.
Among those who attended Friday’s affair were Roger Banzuela, sports task force chairman of the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association; Leonito ‘Diotay’ Lopue, of the Lopue’s Table Tennis Association; Mariano Jomalesa, officer-in-charge of Silay City’s sports and development office; Ronnie de las Alas of the Administered Training Leading to the Empowerment of Talisay Athletes; Alberto Alison, boxing consultant of the Province of Negros Occidental; Rudy Toledo, provincial head of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines; Raul Corteza of the Negros Professional Bowlers; and the various representatives and sportsmen hailing from the various cities and municipalities of Negros Occidental, and Iloilo in Panay.
On the other hand, Villanueva disclosed that the result of the drug and the so-called ‘Fil-shams’ controversies in the Philippine Basketball Association will be known later this month.
He said that he had already talked with PBA commissioner Noli Eala regarding the issue of citizenship of the cagers.
The case is already with the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Justice, revealed Villanueva.
“Since the DOJ had granted them (Filipino-American players) the certificates recognizing their Filipino citizenship, then they are entitled for the license to play,” he explained.
“They even had played for the national colors,” he added.
“But if the BID and the DOJ will cancel their certificates of Filipino citizenship, then that’s the time we get in,” he added.
Villanueva further said that GAB has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Philippine National Police in the campaign against illegal gambling. GCT with reports from Jerome S. Galunan Jr.
(August 23, 2003 issue)
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