Newly formed task force to look into corruption in National Sports Associations
DUE to rampant corruption in numerous National Sports Associations (NSA) in the country, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) officially formed a task force that will look into this problem.
In a press conference last Thursday at the PSC headquarters in Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Metro Manila, PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez officially unveiled the newly formed task force that will serve as a fact-finding group that will also look into complaints of the oppressed national team athletes and coaches.
The task force is headed by PSC Executive Director Sannah Frivaldo.
In a press release forwarded to Cebu Daily News, the task force’s first mission is to look deeper into the anomalies surrounding the Philippine Karatedo Federation (PKF) -NSA Inc.
The PKF-NSA Inc. was recently involved in a string of controversies as one of its top officials, Raymund Lee Reyes, was accused of mismanaging funds which PSC provided.
PKF athletes recently reported to PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez that they did not receive the full amount of their allowances during their 20-day training camp in Germany to prepare for the 29th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) last year.
Reyes, confirmed and admitted that they were not able to distribute the full amount of the allowances for the athletes. But he said that they all agreed to lump the sum and use the allowances for other purposes, which was strongly denied by the athletes who exposed the matter.
Upon inspection of the liquidation report submitted by Reyes, the Task Force was able to determine the inconsistencies.
The task force also was able to uncover a lot of questionable transactions as well as missing official receipts and misuse of funds.
The task force concluded that PKF officials including Reyes have committed serious violations that warrant the filing of cases in the appropriate courts of law. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is already conducting an investigation into the matter.
PSC is waiting for the findings of PKF President Joey Romasanta and Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.
As a result of the findings, PSC has indefinitely suspended the financial assistance to the PKF-NSA Inc. as well as suspending the recognition of the NSA and has withdrawn the privilege to occupy an office space at the Philippine Sports Arena. /WITH reports from a PSC PR