PSC suspends PKF funding

THE Philippine Sports Commission ( PSC) has announced that it will temporarily stop giving financial support to the Philippine Karatedo Federation ( PKF) because of an alleged mishandling of funds of its secretary- general Raymond Lee Reyes.

Members of the PKF have filed a complaint against Reyes for allegedly shortchanging them. The PSC has allocated a training allowance of $ 1,800 to each of the 12 athletes and two coaches who went to Germany last July 20 to August 9 to prepare for the Malaysia SEA Games. The group alleged that Reyes only gave them $ 470 each but were asked to sign receipts stating that $ 1,800 was disbursed to each member of the delegation.

PSC Chairman William Ramirez, with other PSC commissioners and executive director Sannah Frivaldo faced the media on Friday to announce what is being done to resolve the issue.

“Therefore, we have agreed in the board this morning that effective today we will suspend all funding to PKF and No. 2 we are instructed by the executive director to restrict any PKF officials to talk or to be near the athletes complaining until the investigation is resolved,” Ramirez told reporters.

“The money was not received by the athletes and I have a very clear understanding that if you did not disburse the money to the athletes, it can be a violation of accounting rules.”

But Ramirez clarified that athletes and coaches of the PKF will continue receiving their monthly allowances, and the money will be disbursed by the PSC itself.