Jockeys, trainers fund intact, says Metro Turf

The Metro Manila Turf Club, owner of racing club Metro Turf, disputed the claims made by the Philippine Racing Commission regarding the jockeys and trainers disability fund.

MMTCI had earlier sued the Philracom for the invalidation of 53 resolutions that it believed to be illegal as it (Philracom) lacks the power to issue them and for failure to comply with the mandatory requirements under the law for the conduct of public hearings, publication, and registration before implementing them.

The case is pending before the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court and MMTCI is asking for R22-million in damages against Philracom chair Andrew Sanchez, the six commissioners Lyndon Noel Guce, Bienvenido Niles Jr., Victor Tantoco, Jose Gutierrez Santillan Jr., Ramon Bagatsing Jr., Wilfredo de Ungria, and executive director Andrew Rovie Buencamino.

MMTCI vice president Jose Alexander R. Carandang said that it had also only recently filed an “interpleader” case concerning the jockeys and trainers disability fund also with the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court. He added that the Philracom flipflopped on the issue as to who should be the recipient of the disability fund now in the custody of the Metro Turf.

Carandang also cited a letter of the Philracom itself in 2013 where the Philracom admitted that it is not entitled to receive the jockeys and trainers disability fund. “The fund is there but we already formally informed the Philracom that the Philippine Race-Horse Trainers’ Association (PRHTA) has asserted their own claim to a portion of the disability fund. Since both the Philracom/jockeys’ association and the trainer’s association insisted on the remittance, we had to file an ‘interpleader’ case so all the parties can be heard and the court can finally assess which claimants deserve to receive the funds,” he said.

Carandang said that the MMTCI is holding the fund in trust and is very much ready to give it to the “real owner” whoever the court decided it should be. “The disability fund is intact and we have never touched it. The real issue as to who the real owner or recipient of the disability fund (the jockeys’ association or the trainers’ group or both) has not been decided until now, that’s why it (disability fund) is still with us and deposited at the bank and we are compelled to file an ‘interpleader case’’ in court to settle the issue once and for all.”