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Saturday, January 07, 2006
Philsoc can’t sell used Seag gear
MANILA – The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc) can’t sell the slightly used sports equipment purchased for the 23rd SEA Games because these were imported by the Philippine Sports Commission tax free.
Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Richie Garcia yesterday said that the only way the Philsoc can dispose of the imported equipment is to pay the custom duties estimated to be some three percent of the total value.
“All those imported sports equipment used in the SEA Games cannot just be sold because these were purchased by Philsoc through the PSC tax-free,” said Garcia, who was also the operations head of the Philsoc.
He said the PSC also can’t buy those equipment but Philsoc may donate them to the government sports agency to be used for the training of the athletes for the coming Asian Games.
“It would be better if they (Philsoc) will just donate it to the PSC,” Garcia said.
Garcia’s reaction came after Philsoc secretary-general Steve Hontiveros reportedly said that they plan to sell the equipment to pay P100 million in debt incurred by the Philsoc, which undertook the overall management of the staging of the SEA Games last Nov. 27 to Dec. 5 won by the host Philippines.
Customs duties
“If they want to sell the equipment, then they have to pay all custom duties first, otherwise we can be charged with smuggling,” Garcia said.
Garcia also admitted that Philsoc used the P300 million given by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to purchase the equipment and to renovate the Rizal Memorial Track oval.
The Philsoc has P70 million in debt for hotel bills, catering and other expenses in the biennial meet that was co-hosted by the cities of Cebu, Bacolod and Subic.
However, Garcia said that Philsoc denied they are going to sell the imported equipment, except the computers, office equipment, furniture and other supplies used in the SEA Games.
Denial
“I have talked to Steve (Hontiveros) a while ago and he said they are not going to sell,” Garcia said.
Among the equipment that have high custom duties are the racing bicycles, guns and equipment used in skeet and trap shooting.
“Even those boats used in rowing, dragon boats and traditional boat race cost some P400,000 each,” he said.
Earlier reports had it that Philsoc still has to pay the Cebu City Organizing Committee P7 million, P14 million to the Bacolod SEA Games Organizing Committee and P70 million to the Metro Manila operations. (FCC)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 7, 2006 issue)
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