Huey, Ruben question exclusion
US-based Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales are ecstatic over the Philippines’ recent 4-1 win over Indonesia in the first round of the Asia/Oceania Group II tennis competitions of the Davis Cup but expressed disappointment in their exclusion from the team because of unsubstantiated reasons.
Philta secretary-general Romy Magat sent letters to both players confirming their exclusion in view of unsettled requests for reimbursement so they wouldn’t incur additional expenses. Gonzales has advanced $17,400 since 2016 while Huey’s request is for $2,000. Philta president Antonio Cablitas said the requests are pending with the PSC.
It was also claimed that Huey wasn’t invited to play in the Davis Cup against Indonesia because of an injury and Gonzales’ request for reimbursement was under dispute as it involved unauthorized expenses for business class airfares and side trips. Both players denied the allegations.
Huey reached out to The STAR from New York the other day and said he could’ve played against Indonesia. “I was hurt at the end of last year but I’m back playing and played the Australian Open the week before Davis Cup,” he said. “I was looking forward to the tie and I’m really happy the younger guys played well and won but I feel left out and that they’re trying to make me look bad. It’s like they’re calling me a Fil-Am, using it in a derogatory way and saying I’m not a real representative of our country and our national team. I’ve represented our country in numerous Davis Cup ties, SEA Games, Asian Games and I’ve played all the Grand Slams and biggest ATP events for the last 10 years and it feels like they’re trying to push me out and get rid of me.”
Huey said he advanced the airfare for last year’s Davis Cup tie. “I flew from the Australian Open to the tie then straight to another tournament that started the day after Davis Cup ended,” he said. “I’m happy for the younger guys because I feel like I’ve done a lot to help them get better. Niño (Alcantara) was at the Australian Open practicing with me and other top pros in the world to get ready for Davis Cup and the season.”
Gonzales, messaging from San Francisco, said his request for reimbursement does not include business class fares or side trips. “I’ve never purchased a business class ticket in my life,” he said. “I know that funding and reimbursements are limited so there would be no reason to waste thousands of extra dollars to fly business class. Regarding side trips, that is also completely false. To submit a flight for reimbursement, I provide the draw sheet of the competition that I played in as well as my name highlighted on that draw sheet. This is to prove that I competed there. Every single flight that I submitted for reimbursement has the corresponding draw sheet of that location and specific tournament. I met those requirements on every single one.”
Gonzales said his status as a Fil-Am wasn’t by choice. “That’s because of different circumstances of our families,” he said. “I think they should stop labelling us as Fil-Ams because when we play for the Philippines, we are just Filipinos. And we are just as Filipino as homegrowns are when we are abroad representing the Philippines. In fact, abroad, they only call us Filipinos even in the US. It’s just sad that in the Philippines, some of the locals label us Americans.”