NIREREPASO ng Games and Amusements Board (GAB), sa pamumuno ni Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra, ang imbestigasyon para maresolba ang isinampang reklamo ng mga Pinoy referee/judges association laban kay Cebu-based Panamanian boxing judge-writer Carlos Costa.

Nagsampa ng magkahiwalay na reklamo laban kay Costa ang Association of Philippine Professional Boxing Ring Officials (APPBRO)-Luzon Chapter at Professional Boxing Officials of Central Visayas (PBOCV).

Sa ‘petition letter’ na isinumite sa GAB, iginiit ng dalawang grupo ang tahasang “conflict of interest” sa gawain ni Costa at hiniling na bawian ito ng lisensiya.

“To be fair to all the parties concerned, we will look into the controversy and render our judgment based on the merits of the case. Kailangan pag-aralan natin ng mabuti ito,” pahayag ni Mitra sa kanyang pagbisita sa  “Usapang Sports” ng Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) nitong Huwebes sa National Press Club sa Intramuros.

Ayon kay Mitra, binigyan nila si Costa ng 15 araw para magsumite ng kanyang sagot sa mga alegasyon.

“Yun mga complaints against Costa, very serious kaya we are now conducting an investigation. Kailangan malaman natin ang puno’t dulo at maaksiyunan natin agad,” sambit ni Mitra sa lingguhang sports forum na itinataguyod ng Philippine Sports Commission, National Press Club, PAGCOR, Community Basketball Association at HG Guyabano Tea Leaf Drinks.

Sa sulat sa GAB na may petsang Sept. 2, iginiit ng APPBRO-Luzon at  PBOCV na “guilty of conflict of interest being a boxing judge, writer and interpreter to Mexican and Spanish-speaking fighters fighting in the country,” si Costa.

“As a Panamanian who is not a permanent resident of the Philippines, Costa is disqualified to be licensed as a boxing judge in the Philippines because there is no shortage of competent, experienced and honest Filipino boxing officials,” pahayag ng  APPBRO sa kanilang petition letter.

“Costa violated the internationally accepted principles of boxing and guilty of conflict of interest,” anila.

Kabilang sa APPBRO officials sina international judge/referee Atty. Danrex Tapdasan, Ferdinand Estrella at Atty. Aquil Tamano. Tanging si international boxing referee Silvestre “Ver” Abainza ang hindi lumagda sa sulat.

“Being a foreigner does not mean that Costa is more deserving to be assigned as judge compared to Filipinos. Costa is a tourist in the Philippines and probably without any appropriate special working permit as required by the Philippine Immigration Act,” anila.