Fernandez urges athletes to air grievances vs. NSAs

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Ramon Fernandez is urging athletes to come out and expose anomalies by the National Sports Association (NSAs).

Fernandez explained that it is now the perfect time for the PSC to hear the complaints of the athletes who suffered from unfair treatment from coaches or officials in the past years.

“Right now, we have received a lot of complaints. Whether these complaints are true or not, we, as the government body in- charge of promoting and protecting our athletes, it is our duty to resolve these issues so that we can work harmoniously,” Fernandez told SunStar Cebu.

PSC received more than 20 complaints, ranging from allowance disparity to a suprising one, the leasing of a sport facili- ty to a private corporation.

“We will docket all these complaints then call the parties to a hearing to know the reasons. One of the complaints that we received was a leasing controversy of a sport facility to a private corporation. The athletes can no longer train because their training facility has been rented out by their NSA. We have to look at it and solve it the soonest possible time,” said PSC legal onsultant Ramsey Quijano.

Quijano is one of the three lawyers tasked by PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez to hear and resolve the complaints of the athletes.

The committee is headed by the acting executive director, Carlo Abarquez, who is also a lawyer.

Fernandez himself was fuming when he learned about the leasing of a sports facility and vowed somebody will have to answer .

But while PSC can sue erring NSA officials over graft and corruption and non-liquidation of financial assistance, Quijano admitted that the most PSC can do is to cut the financial assistance it gives to NSAs.

“Erring NSAs, teams, athletes, coaches or sports officials maybe refused funding or allowance from the PSC,” Quijano said.

Fernandez left Cebu yesterday morning as he is scheduled to meet with Philippine Track and Field Association (Patafa) president Philipp Ella Juico over Mary Joy Tabal’s expulsion from the national team, while Quijano will leave on Wednesday to start collecting and docketing the issue for a hearing. /

The athletes can no longer train because their training facility has been rented out by their NSA. RAMON FERNANDEZ