Handang tanggalin ng mga senador ang budget na itinalaga para sa Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) at ibigay ito sa Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) kung hindi nito ititigil ang “harassment" na ginagawa laban sa nag-iisang pole vaulter ng bansa na si EJ Obiena.
Si Senador Pia Cayetano ang naghapag ng opsyon sa plenary debates ng 2022 budget ng PSC, Martes ng gabi. Nauna nang ibinalik ng Senado ang budget ng PSC matapos kumilos si Cayetano para i-score ang "hands-off" approach sa isyung kinasasangkutan nina Obiena at Patafa.
Inaprubahan ng Senado ang P363.24 milyon na panukalang pondo ng PSC para sa 2022 sa kondisyong “iwawasto ang grave injustice” na ginawa kay Obiena.
“I want to let the PSC know and PATAFA know that this budget season does not end even if we will now agree to grant the budget. We still have a few weeks and we will go through the process of amendment, and then we will pass this (budget) bill. And then we will go through bicam (bicameral conference committee),” sabi ni Cayetano sa plenary budget deliberations.
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“Mr. Sponsor, please be sure that (PSC) Chairman (Butch) Ramirez knows and relays to PATAFA that if we do not hear sincere efforts, not even efforts—statements—to rectify the grave injustice that they have done upon EJ, I will move that the bduget of PSC that is set aside for PATAFA be removed, and that you PSC, will directly give to the athletes,” dagdag ni Cayetano.
Aniya pa, “I don’t want the athletes to suffer, but I will remove it from PATAFA, your honor. That is my clear statement and I see my colleagues nodding. I believe everybody will support us on that.
Dinepensahan ni Sen. Joel Villanueva ang budget ng PSC habang sinuportahan ni Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri ang mosyon ni Cayetano.
Tiniyak ni Villanueva na nagsisisi ang PSC “that these things would happen and that the PSC values and gives utmost importance to our athletes, especially to a national athlete.”
“As I always say, EJ is a national treasure that gave pride and honor to the Filipino people,” dagdag ni Villanueva.
“The PSC also shares the sentiments of our distinguished colleagues here in the Senate and that PSC even further relay that we should continue to protect and support our athletes and not to demoralize them and with that we are supporting the PSC in its call to stop the harassment against EJ Obiena,” pagpapatuloy ng senador.
Sinabi ni Cayetano na isa ring triathlete, kahit siya ay na-bother sa isyu sa pagitan ni Obiena at PATAFA, hindi dapat na ipagkait ang budget para sa pagsasanay ng mga atleta.
“This is for the athletes. This is for the international training of the athlete…I am so sorry that EJ had to go through this, but maybe there is still good that came out of this horrible, horrible experience for EJ Obiena,” sabi ng mambabatas.
Si Obiena, na nagtapos bilang ika-11 sa pole vault competition sa 2020 Tokyo Olympics ay inakusahan ng embezzlement ng kanyang national sports commission (NSC) para sa umano’y pamemeke ng mga liquidation reports. Inakusahan din ng PATAFA si Obiena na hindi nagbabayad sa kanyang coach na si Vitaly Petrov.
Gayunpaman, itinanggi ni Obiena sa isang press conference na hindi niya inilabas ang suweldo ni Petriv para sa kanyang serbisyo mula sa unang bahagi ng 2018, ngunit inamin niyang nahihirapan siyang bayaran ang kanyang coach sa oras dahil sa matinding schedule ng kanyang pagsasanay at kawalan ng manpower support.
Pinabulaanan ni Petrov, na sumali rin sa isang online presser ni Obiena, ang mga akusasyon ng PATAFA at pinagtibay na binayaran nga siya ni Obiena ng kanyang monthly stipend. Ito ang nag-udyok sa PATAFA na baguhin ang akusasyon laban kay Obiena mula embezzlement tungo sa late liquidation.
Sinabi ni Cayetano na “horrible” para sa isang pambansang atleta na akusahan ng embezzlement, pagnanakaw lalo pa’t isa lang siyang young athlete in training.
“After he called for a press conference and his coach said, ‘No, I received the money’ the accusation was now changed na ‘late, late ka mag-liquidate’ and then they made him go through all that just because late siya mag-liquidate. Eh siguro guilty na tayong lahat doon for every now and then, being late in submitting something. So it’s awful,” pagpupunto ni Cayetano.
Hannah Torregoza
