In an unprecedented move, Sen. Trillanes filed a case before the Office of the Ombudsman against Peping Cojuangco, among others. The case finally sets the two personalities on an explosive head-on collision.
Sen. Trillanes was elected president of TATAP in 2011. But the absence of a POC representative during the election put a question on its validity. Worse, POC recognized another group as the duly-elected officers of TATAP. Sen. Trillanes and his group filed a case in a regional trial court to stop the other group from presenting itself as the legitimate officers of TATAP. To this day, the case is yet to be decided.
With Sen. Trillanes not recognized by POC as TATAP president, he cannot run against Peping Cojuangco for the position of POC president. The much-awaited electoral battle between Sen. Trillanes and Peping Cojuangco never happened because of this.
But there is no stopping now the volatile clash between Sen. Trillanes and POC President Couangco. Cojuangco definitely has the support of PSC and his friends from various NSA's. Sen. Trillanes has the support of the public and NSA's that have had enough of Cojuangco's maneuverings in sports. In view of the public indignation with PDAF and pork barrel, Sen. Trillanes might just pull a big upset.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
CORRUPTION RAPS AGAINST POC AND PSC
The Table Tennis Association of the Philippines, through its Chairman, Jacinto Omilla Jr, charged Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Ricardo Garcia and Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose Cojuangco, Jr., among others, for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
According to the complaint filed by Omilla with the Office of the Ombudsman, the PSC released funds and issued checks to the group of Ting Ledesma who have been misrepresenting themselves as the officers of TATAP. The release of funds were made despite a pending issue on the legitimate officers of TATAP which is currently the subject of a court case in the Regional Trial Court of Manila.
In a response made by PSC Chairman Garcia to an inquiry made by TATAP through its counsel, Garcia made an admission that despite his knowledge of the pending legitimacy issue between TATAP and the Ledesma group, he released funds amounting to P 2,327,465 to the Ledesma group. Omilla said that this action made by the PSC violates the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or RA 3019 and clearly shows manifest partiality, evident bad faith and gross inexcusable negligence.
Omilla added that having been informed of the pending case in the RTC of Manila, prudence dictates that Garcia should have refrained from entertaining the group of Ledesma. Instead, the Commission through Garcia acknowledged the group of Ledesma, worse, he released financial assistance to the group giving unwarranted private benefits.
In 2011, TATAP members voted to remove all the members of the Board due to lost of confidence and subsequently elected new set of Board of Trustees and officers. Despite the said election, certain personalities in the person of Ting Ledesma, Fauzia Anne Andanar, and Arnel Berroya have misrepresented themselves as the newly-elected officers of TATAP. In 2012, the Philippine Olympic Committee, headed by Jose Cojuangco, Jr., recognized Ledesma's group after a purported election held in the same year.
Among the respondents in the case filed by TATAP are: Jose Cojuangco Jr., Ricardo Garcia, Salvador Andrada, Gillian Akiko Guevarra, Wigberto Clavecilla Jr., Ting Ledesma, Annie Andanar, Domingo Panlilio, Arnel Berroya, and Ma. Theresa Diniega.
Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV is the current president of TATAP which filed the said corruption case. #
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
MORE OBSCENITIES ON PCKF AND DRAGON BOAT ATHLETES AND COACHES PART 3
As shown in a previous post, the running total of unaccounted funds for the Philippine dragon boat team's Milan trip is Php675,018.75.
I will now examine if there is a discrepancy with the airfare of the whole delegation.
As per Resolution No. 439(C)-2012, the budget for airfare the Philippine delegation is Php1,358,370.00. The budget covers the airfare of 26 persons via Cathay Pacific. The airfare, in dollars, per person comes out at $1,215.00. The price of the ticket to Milan is quite reasonable.
But as per Resolution No. 545-2012, an additional amount of Php376,766.00 was given to PCKF to cover the deficit in airfare. Now, where did the deficit come from ? Did the athletes not even give up some of their allowances to cover all the airfares of the people in the trip ? And why did PSC give an amount that will not enable the athletes and coaches return to Manila ?
Hence, the additional amount of Php376.766.00 as requested by PCKF needs some explanation.
The running total of the unaccounted funds for the PCKF trip to Milan is now Php1,051,784.75.
I have been communicating with PCKF President Jonne Go to ask for explanations. But she refuses to answer my calls, texts and email.
I will now examine if there is a discrepancy with the airfare of the whole delegation.
As per Resolution No. 439(C)-2012, the budget for airfare the Philippine delegation is Php1,358,370.00. The budget covers the airfare of 26 persons via Cathay Pacific. The airfare, in dollars, per person comes out at $1,215.00. The price of the ticket to Milan is quite reasonable.
But as per Resolution No. 545-2012, an additional amount of Php376,766.00 was given to PCKF to cover the deficit in airfare. Now, where did the deficit come from ? Did the athletes not even give up some of their allowances to cover all the airfares of the people in the trip ? And why did PSC give an amount that will not enable the athletes and coaches return to Manila ?
Hence, the additional amount of Php376.766.00 as requested by PCKF needs some explanation.
The running total of the unaccounted funds for the PCKF trip to Milan is now Php1,051,784.75.
I have been communicating with PCKF President Jonne Go to ask for explanations. But she refuses to answer my calls, texts and email.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
MORE OBSCENITY IN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN PCKF AND DRAGON BOAT ATHLETES AND COACHES
As shown in a previous post, based on the athletes' rejoinder and Resolution No. 439(C)-2012, a total amount of Php267,718.75 from the athletes' allowances remain unaccounted for.
Now, I will examine the unaccounted amount, if any, from other training requirements.
According to PSC Resolution No. 439(C)-2012, the approved budget for other training requirements are as follows :
Whey Protein - Php3,000/pack x 18 packs - Php54,000.00
Mass Protein - Php3,500/pack x 12 packs - Php42,000.00
Creatine - Php2,400/bottle x 15 bottles - Php36,000.00
Multi-vitamins - Php1,250/nottle x 14 bottles - Php17,000.00
Meal Allowance- Php300/day x 26 persons x 54 days - Php421,200.00
TOTAL - Php570,700.00
According to the rejoinder of the athletes, they only received the following :
Whey Protein - Php3,000/pack x 2 packs - Php6,000.00
Creatine - Php2,400/bottle x 5 bottles - Php12,000.00
Multi-vitamins - Php1,250/bottle x 4 bottles - Php5,000.00
Meal Allowance - Php200/day x 27 days x 26 persons - Php140,400.00
TOTAL - Php163,400.00
Hence from other training requirements, there is an amount of Php407,300.00 ( Php570,700.00 - Php163,400.00 ) that is unaccounted for.
Together with the previous athletes' allowances that remain unaccounted for ( Php267,718.75 ), the total amount unaccounted for is Php407,300.00 + Php267,718.75, which is equal to Php675,018.75 so far.
In my next post, I will continue the investigation, taking into account the amounts allotted for airfare and hotel accommodation.
Now, I will examine the unaccounted amount, if any, from other training requirements.
According to PSC Resolution No. 439(C)-2012, the approved budget for other training requirements are as follows :
Whey Protein - Php3,000/pack x 18 packs - Php54,000.00
Mass Protein - Php3,500/pack x 12 packs - Php42,000.00
Creatine - Php2,400/bottle x 15 bottles - Php36,000.00
Multi-vitamins - Php1,250/nottle x 14 bottles - Php17,000.00
Meal Allowance- Php300/day x 26 persons x 54 days - Php421,200.00
TOTAL - Php570,700.00
According to the rejoinder of the athletes, they only received the following :
Whey Protein - Php3,000/pack x 2 packs - Php6,000.00
Creatine - Php2,400/bottle x 5 bottles - Php12,000.00
Multi-vitamins - Php1,250/bottle x 4 bottles - Php5,000.00
Meal Allowance - Php200/day x 27 days x 26 persons - Php140,400.00
TOTAL - Php163,400.00
Hence from other training requirements, there is an amount of Php407,300.00 ( Php570,700.00 - Php163,400.00 ) that is unaccounted for.
Together with the previous athletes' allowances that remain unaccounted for ( Php267,718.75 ), the total amount unaccounted for is Php407,300.00 + Php267,718.75, which is equal to Php675,018.75 so far.
In my next post, I will continue the investigation, taking into account the amounts allotted for airfare and hotel accommodation.
Monday, October 28, 2013
THE OBSCENITY OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN PCKF AND ATHLETES AND COACHES PART 2
From the rejoinder submitted by the terminated athletes and coaches of the PCKF dragon boat teams, I was able to calculate the amount of allowances that remains unaccounted for during the World Championship in Milan. The amount comes out as PhP267,718.75.
In the same rejoinder, I found the responses of PCKF President Jonne Go and canoe-kayak head coach Len Escollante. Ms. Go simply counters that the allowances are "subject to the discretion of the PCKF management how the budget provided by the PSC is to be spent ". Coach Len, on the other hand, says that the terminated athletes and coaches " are consumed by deception and trickery ", " hardcore liars ", " grossly insensitive ", "disrespectful of authorities ", " do not know the boundaries of their function " and " have a distorted mentality of their roles ".
It is very interesting and telling that Go and Escollante do not deny that they received a total amount of PhP499,200.00 from PSC. In fact, Ms. Go's statement that it is up to the PCKF on how the funds are to be spent is an admission that there was a discrepancy with what was approved and what the athletes and coaches received . The statement of Go offers merely a justification of what the athletes and coaches received. Nowhere in the rejoinder do Go and Escollante deny that the athletes and coaches only got PhP231,481.25 instead of the PSC-approved amount of Php499,200.00.
Thus the question remains. Where is the missing amount of Php267,718.75 ?
In the same rejoinder, I found the responses of PCKF President Jonne Go and canoe-kayak head coach Len Escollante. Ms. Go simply counters that the allowances are "subject to the discretion of the PCKF management how the budget provided by the PSC is to be spent ". Coach Len, on the other hand, says that the terminated athletes and coaches " are consumed by deception and trickery ", " hardcore liars ", " grossly insensitive ", "disrespectful of authorities ", " do not know the boundaries of their function " and " have a distorted mentality of their roles ".
It is very interesting and telling that Go and Escollante do not deny that they received a total amount of PhP499,200.00 from PSC. In fact, Ms. Go's statement that it is up to the PCKF on how the funds are to be spent is an admission that there was a discrepancy with what was approved and what the athletes and coaches received . The statement of Go offers merely a justification of what the athletes and coaches received. Nowhere in the rejoinder do Go and Escollante deny that the athletes and coaches only got PhP231,481.25 instead of the PSC-approved amount of Php499,200.00.
Thus the question remains. Where is the missing amount of Php267,718.75 ?
Saturday, October 26, 2013
THE OBSCENITY IN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN PCKF AND THE DRAGON BOAT TEAMS
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| courtesy of interaksyon.com |
Let us take for example the 2012 World Dragon Boat Championship that was held in Milan, Italy. According to PSC Resolution No. 439, the athletes and their two coaches will receive $480.00 each for the competition. At an exchange rate of PHP40.00 to $1.00 and with 26 athletes and coaches all in all, the total amount of participation allowance comes out as $12,480.00 or PHP499,200.00.
But according to the statements of the athletes and coaches, only PHP9,259.25 were given to each of the 25 participants. Only 25 participants were given the participation allowance as the PCKF president insisted that Coach Laureno was not approved by the PSC to go to Milan. With 25 people being given PHP9,259.25 each, the total amount of participation allowance that was actually given only amounts to PHP231,481.25.
Comparing the total amount of participation allowance approved by PSC with the total amount of participation allowance that was given, there is a discrepancy of PHP267,718.75.
The big question is where did the PHP267,718.75 go ?
Note that the unaccounted amount of PHP267,718.75 is even bigger than the PHP231,481.25 that the athletes and coaches got as participation allowance. Meaning, that whoever got the missing and unaccounted funds got more than what the whole team got. Such is the obscenity of the whole thing.
Note too that what we have examined is only limited to the participation allowance of the athletes and coaches. We have not examined the amounts that could be missing from the funds allotted for the airfare and hotel accommodations of the athletes and their coaches.
The brazen and obscene corruption from this simple example is truly a crime not only against the athletes and their coaches but against the entire Filipino people as well.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
THE TRUTH REVEALED : THE CONFLICT BETWEEN PCKF AND PHILIPPINE DRAGON BOAT TEAMS
To reduce the conflict between the leaders of PCKF and the national dragon boat teams as a simple case of athletes wanting to go to the Southeast Asian Games is to miss the entire point. Truth of the matter is, corruption in sports is the issue. Below is the letter that was sent to a senator by the Philippine paddlers and their coaches.
Dear Senator:
We, the coaches and athletes of the National Dragon Boat Team, humbly request for intervention from your good office regarding our current situation with our umbrella organization, the Philippine Canoe and Kayak Federation (PCKF).
On July 12, 2013, we wrote a letter addressed to both the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) requesting for an investigation of two (2) of the officials of PCKF Acting President Ms. Jonne Go and Head Coach Ms. Leonora Escollante on allegations of unethical conduct and questionable disbursement of funds.
The immediate action taken by Ms. Go is to unduly terminate the twenty-five (25) athletes and three (3) coaches, representing 95% of the National Pool, who filed the complaint. Consequently, we were put on floating status pending the resolution of the complaint. Likewise, we have been verbally informed by POC that all trainings have to be discontinued and were denied access to the dragon boats situated at the CCP’s dock site. Worse, our South East Asian Games (SEA Games) berth has been revoked and our allowances and benefits, from which we derive our meager income, were put on hold pending the final determination of the case by the POC Arbitration Committee.
Thus, we appeal for your intervention and assistance regarding our case before the said Arbitration Committee. We have already sent letters to the Philippine Sports Commission and the Arbitration Committee of the POC requesting for provisional reliefs and immediate disposition of the case based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds but our request fell on deaf ears.
The POC and PCKF may have the right and power to determine its organization and membership.However, we feel that it is unjust for us to be stripped of our basic benefits and our well-deserved opportunity to represent the country in the SEA Games, just because we chose to bring to light the anomalies that we have experienced at the hands of our officials – the supposed stewards of our Sport.
We followed strict protocol, stretched our forbearance and good faith in our sports governing bodies, even as three (3) months have passed without rendering a proper investigation and resolution. We appeal to you and the government for relief in our trying situation.
Please find attached Complainant’s Rejoinder detailing the case. Upon your instruction, we will also send your office the originating Petition and Position Paper, Answers of the Respondents and other Letters that we sent to POC and PSC.
Thank you in advance for your attention in this matter.
Respectfully yours,
MANUEL F. MAYA ARNOLD P. LAURENO
Men's Team Head Coach Women's Team Head Coach
Dear Senator:
We, the coaches and athletes of the National Dragon Boat Team, humbly request for intervention from your good office regarding our current situation with our umbrella organization, the Philippine Canoe and Kayak Federation (PCKF).
On July 12, 2013, we wrote a letter addressed to both the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) requesting for an investigation of two (2) of the officials of PCKF Acting President Ms. Jonne Go and Head Coach Ms. Leonora Escollante on allegations of unethical conduct and questionable disbursement of funds.
The immediate action taken by Ms. Go is to unduly terminate the twenty-five (25) athletes and three (3) coaches, representing 95% of the National Pool, who filed the complaint. Consequently, we were put on floating status pending the resolution of the complaint. Likewise, we have been verbally informed by POC that all trainings have to be discontinued and were denied access to the dragon boats situated at the CCP’s dock site. Worse, our South East Asian Games (SEA Games) berth has been revoked and our allowances and benefits, from which we derive our meager income, were put on hold pending the final determination of the case by the POC Arbitration Committee.
Thus, we appeal for your intervention and assistance regarding our case before the said Arbitration Committee. We have already sent letters to the Philippine Sports Commission and the Arbitration Committee of the POC requesting for provisional reliefs and immediate disposition of the case based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds but our request fell on deaf ears.
The POC and PCKF may have the right and power to determine its organization and membership.However, we feel that it is unjust for us to be stripped of our basic benefits and our well-deserved opportunity to represent the country in the SEA Games, just because we chose to bring to light the anomalies that we have experienced at the hands of our officials – the supposed stewards of our Sport.
We followed strict protocol, stretched our forbearance and good faith in our sports governing bodies, even as three (3) months have passed without rendering a proper investigation and resolution. We appeal to you and the government for relief in our trying situation.
Please find attached Complainant’s Rejoinder detailing the case. Upon your instruction, we will also send your office the originating Petition and Position Paper, Answers of the Respondents and other Letters that we sent to POC and PSC.
Thank you in advance for your attention in this matter.
Respectfully yours,
MANUEL F. MAYA ARNOLD P. LAURENO
Men's Team Head Coach Women's Team Head Coach
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