A FEW weeks ago, when then University of Sto. Tomas coach Aldin Ayo hit the news for the wrong reasons, nobody questioned his achievements on the court because he violated guidelines. Nobody said criticizing him demeaned his and his team’s achievements.
Now, why are two senators questioning how the facilities put up for the Southeast Asian Games will demean the efforts of the athletes in winning the overall title a year ago? I mean, nobody is placing a single athlete under inquiry nor is anyone saying the victory was tainted.
One senator, taking the cue from the Commission on Audit, wants to know if there were irregularities in the construction of the P8.5 billion sports complex. Didn’t the former speaker himself, who chaired the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, declare a year ago that he was open to investigations?
Yet now, all of the sudden, doing so is unpatriotic?
Makes you wonder if they know something the rest of the country doesn’t.
As for me, I hope the probe does push through so if any irregularities are uncovered, there will be better safeguards should the country next host a major meet. Didn’t Phisgoc, in the elation of a successful SEA Games hosting, say it would bid for the Asian Games next?
Sen. Pia Cayetano, who portrays herself as a champion of athletes, also bristled at the suggestion that the facility will become a white elephant, saying it will be used by our national athletes.
Well, that’s a concern I’ve had ever since I learned that the government will build such a facility. How will they make sure it will be worth its upkeep? Most of our national athletes are based in the Big City, because of school or even work concerns. How will they convince them to transfer? Will the complex be just used for a series of one-week training camps prior to a tournament and will that make it worth the upkeep?
Yes, they have the National Sports Academy planned but how do you convince parents of gifted athletes who view school sports as a path to a degree to transfer their kids from school to a newly formed academy?
These are legitimate questions and if the people behind the complex have answers, then good for them. At least we’ll know that the facility was worth every penny.
And to get there, an investigation would help, right? I mean, they’ve been telling us for four years that if you have nothing to hide....