SENATOR Manny Pacquiao said he hopes that the ongoing rift between the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) be resolved the soonest possible time.
Pacquiao, in an interview with SunStar Davao after his team Pacquiao Warriors lost to The Royal Mandaya Hotel-De La Salle University (TRMH-DLSU) Green Archers during the 80th Araw ng Dabaw Commercial Invitational Basketball Tournament at Almendras Gym Davao City Recreation Center (DCRC) last week, said: "Dapat ma-resolve na yan dahil maaapektuhan ang mga atleta natin."
The eight-division world boxing champion also said he's willing to extend help in seeking solution to the issues hounding the country's two top sports bodies.
"Gawin natin ang makakaya natin na makatulong sa kanila sa problema na ito, nang ma-resolve yan at maging progresibo ang sports natin sa Pilipinas," Pacquiao added.
The PSC-POC conflict heated up when 82-year-old POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco allegedly claimed that PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, a four-time most valuable player, was involved in game-fixing while he was still playing for Toyota on the heels of the latter making public POC's unliquidated financial assistance from the PSC.
Fernandez plans to sue Cojuangco for libel as the PSC Board, led by chairman William "Butch" Ramirez, has reiterated their support for the commissioner from Cebu City.
Ramirez, who was in Davao City for the Directional Meeting with local government units (LGUs) in Mindanao last March 16 at the Pinnacle Hotel and Suites, assured that the athletes will be taken care of and that they have nothing to worry despite the ongoing POC-PSC spat.
"We have earlier committed to support our athletes until Tokyo 2020," Ramirez said in a separate interview despite Cojuangco's alleged statement that PSC must not meddle with POC's affairs.
Ramirez, PSC Commissioner Charles Raymond Maxey and Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) training director Marc Velasco recently visited the national men's and women's boxing teams who are training in Baguio City for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and other international competitions.