Don’t blame me for Phl poor SEAG stint – Peping

Philippine Olympic Committee president Peping Cojuangco yesterday defended his leadership amid mounting criticism and turned the tables on his detractors, asking that they, too, be placed under scrutiny.

“Itong pagsali ko sa sports (My entry in sports) is for the country. Yung sakripisyo, lahat andyan, sariling pera ko ginagastos ko (I make sacrifices, spend my own money) but that’s immaterial. Kaya maski ano’ng banat sa akin, di ko na lang pinapansin tutal kunsenysa ko malinis (My conscience is clear so I’m not affected by the criticisms),” Cojuangco said during yesterday’s Broadcasters’ Forum at Max’s Restaurant in Quezon City Circle.

Cojuangco’s critics staged a pair of rallies last week in Manila and Cebu calling for his resignation, blaming him for what they felt was a “debacle” in the recent Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.

Cojuangco maintained that a number of factors – not his leadership – led to the poor performance of Team Phl in Malaysia.

“We don’t have a training center that’s suitable for training...our facilities are not up to date…our athletes don’t eat enough and don’t eat right…and sobra ang dayaan (we were cheated on in Malaysia),” he said,

His critics also cited the POC’s alleged failure to account for the P27 million in financial assistance released by the Philippine Sports Commission for the hosting of the SEAG in 2005.

“Alam mo, kung papansinin ko yun, mga tao naman na hindi dapat pakinggan, inaaksaya ko lang ang panahon ko, kaya hindi ko na lang sila pinapansin (It will be a waste of time if I bother to listen to them),” he said.

The POC chief, though, hit back at two personalities in the gathering, former PSC chair Perry Mequi and incumbent commissioner Ramon Fernandez.

“Ano bang nagawa nila sa sports (What have they done for Philippine sports),” he said.

Cojuangco said what Fernandez wants is to “take over the POC” and run the affairs of Phl sports. “Suspendido tayo ng IOC kapag natuloy ito (We’ll be suspended by the IOC if he gets his wish).”

As to the P27-million the PSC is demanding the Olympic body to return, Cojuangco said it was an old issue that was long settled.

“Ba’t POC ang hinahabol? Ang nagpalakad ng SEA Games in 2005 ay Philsoc. Kinclear na ng PSC yun, meron na ring COA that time, ngayon babalik nila (Why are they going after POC when it was Philsoc that organized the 2005 SEA Games? And we were already cleared by both the PSC and COA already. I don’t know why they’re reviving it),” he said.

Even as his detractors ask to look at the POC’s books, Cojuangco said it’s just fair to do the same to the PSC.

“Kung eeksaminin ang POC at NSAs, isama na rin ang PSC (Examine the books of the PSC, too). They’re getting P200million a month from Pagcor. How much of this P200-million is going to sports? To the development of facilities? To the athletes? I’d like to know, too,” he said.