The Senate on Monday recalled the proposed 2022 finances of the Philippine Sports activities Fee (PSC) after the fee took a “hands-off” strategy to allegations towards Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
Through the interpellations of Senate on the 2022 proposed nationwide finances, Senator Pia Cayetano expressed dismay over the PSC’s failure to assist Obiena, who’s experiencing “psychological anguish” over the Philippine Athletics Observe and Subject Affiliation’s (PATAFA) claims towards him.
“The explanation I’m asking to recall the finances of PSC as a result of PSC took a hands-off strategy. How are you going to try this to a nationwide athlete? Bigyan mo ng halaga ang nationwide athlete na inakusahan ng ganun ganun na lang na walang foundation,” mentioned Cayetano.
(Give significance to a nationwide athlete who had simply been accused with out foundation.)
Cayetano identified that Obiena’s coach Vitaliy Petrov has himself already denied PATAFA’s claims towards Obiena of falsified liquidation and failure to pay him—an allegation that Obiena has vigorously denied and objected to.
Senator Joel Villanueva additionally appealed to the PSC to look into the difficulty, including that the pole vaulter has not solely introduced satisfaction of the Philippines but additionally to the complete Asian area.
“I simply hope and pray our buddies with PSC will do one thing about it. Not day-after-day within the historical past of this nation na nagkaroon tayo ng kagaya ni EJ Obiena [that we have someone like EJ Obiena],” he mentioned.
Over the weekend, Obiena mentioned that PATAFA requested him to return €85,000 or over P4 million price of economic help, and that the group alleged that he had stored the quantity as an alternative of utilizing it to pay his coach.
However Obiena denied PATAFA’s allegations, demanding the total and public withdrawal of the investigation and a public apology from the authorities concerned. He additionally mentioned that he’ll take into account retirement if the difficulty just isn’t resolved.
PATAFA mentioned that it’s nonetheless investigating the matter.
The PSC, in the meantime, mentioned that it’s going to solely intervene within the scenario when crucial.
“For now, allow us to enable PATAFA and EJ to kind the matter internally inside their NSA, appropriately. The PSC will intervene when it’s applicable,” PSC chairman Butch Ramirez mentioned in a press release. — BM, GMA Information
