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What would a Duterte-anointed Speaker mean?

By Charmaine A. Tadalan
Reporter

PRESIDENT RODRIGO Roa Duterte’s move to recommend his preferred Speaker of the House of Representatives may put the independence of the 18th Congress further at risk, analysts said in separate interviews late last week.

It was also raised that while a supermajority in the House and Senate could translate to a stronger push for the President’s priority bills, it could also threaten the quality of legislative measures that will make it out of both chambers.

“I think a President openly and enthusiastically making an endorsement for Speaker of the HOR undermines the principle of separation of powers,” lawyer and senior research fellow Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco of the Ateneo Policy Center said in an email on June 20.

“In the case of a supermajority in both houses of the 18th Congress, keeping the executive accountable will most likely be a rare occurrence.”

Mr. Duterte announced on Tuesday last week that he will name his bet for the House leadership on June 28, following his state visit in Thailand for the 34th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

Among those interested for the Speakership are Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco, congressmen-elect Alan Peter S. Cayetano of Taguig City-1st district, Pantaleon D. Alvarez of Davao del Norte-1st district, and Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez of Leyte-1st district.

“Our political leaders today have allowed patronage politics to override constitutional conventions such as separation of powers. Consequently, we very seldom see the application of the principle of checks and balances anymore between the executive and legislative branches of government,” Mr. Yusingco also said.

As practiced by the Philippine legislature, the President’s endorsement for the leader of the House is an expected development, which University of the Philippines (UP) political science professor Maria Ela L. Atienza noted in this case “may be based on personal loyalty and trust but not necessarily the most well-suited as Speaker of the House.”

Ms. Atienza added the “principle of separation of powers is lost,” given the personality-based politics in the country and the weak political party system, which enables turncoatism.

“The President and his allies will likely choose a loyal Speaker who will protect the President’s interests. However, many politicians are also very practical. In case they feel that the President is no longer very popular, they can also switch loyalties to protect their interests. It is thus worth-watching if the President can maintain his popularity in the second half of his term,” Ms. Atienza said in an e-mail on Thursday.

Further, she raised that while the Senate, dominated by the President’s allies, is expected to become a rubber stamp, it is worth noting that some senators are likely eyeing to run for the executive post in 2022.

“Being nationally elected, the senators are more attuned to the national mood as well as more conscious about how they are perceived by the public. Many senators usually also aspire to be President and Vice President. Thus, this coming three years can also be a preparation for the 2022 presidential elections,” she said.

On this note, Ms. Atienza raised the role of media, the academe and social movements, among others, to keep the independence of both Houses in check.

Contrary to this, University of Santo Tomas political science professor Marlon M. Villarin in a phone message on Thursday said the separation of powers and the principle of checks and balances will remain intact.

“The primary intention is normally to find a leader in both house that will make the president’s legislative agenda in the form of service get supports and priority, I don’t see it as a threat to separation of power for at the end of the day, congress will still sit and decide independently to fiscalize executive initiative and check and balances is still in effect,” he said.

“What is worth noting is the extent and effect as well as the quality of legislation and priority congress does.”

He, however, noted the supermajority in congress may eventually allow for a President to resist checks and balances that may lead to a “tyrannical regime.”

Angat Dam level could further drop this week

ANGAT DAM’S water level could breach its lowest level recorded at 157.57 meters this week.

“If the situation in Angat watershed and dams, as far as rainfall is concerned, does not improve then it is possible,” National Water Resources Board (NWRB) Executive Director Sevillo D. David, Jr., told BusinessWorld in a text message when asked about the possibility of such a situation to occur.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has already declared the start of the rainy season, but the dam’s water level continues to go down.

The weather bureau noted in its website that as of 6 a.m. on Sunday, the water level in Angat was at 159.43 meters, 50.57 meters below its normal high water level of 210 meters.

Water elevation at Angat Dam last dropped below the critical level of 160 meters on July 13, 2010 when it registered a low of 157.57 meters, as the El Niño phenomenon affected the country.

WATER SUPPLY
As for the water allocation to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Mr. David said 36 cubic meter per second (CMS) will be maintained for the rest of June.

Discussions will be held next week if this will be further reduced in July depending on the dam’s water level and climate projections.

The NWRB reduced water allocation during this month from 46 CMS to 40 CMS and further to 36 CMS.

“We appeal to everyone to help us also through responsible use of water and conserve water. Let’s also try to collect rain water and recycle it to help in the limited supply that we have now from the dam,” he said.

With this development, water concession holders in Metro Manila and surrounding areas said they will have to wait for further actions from the NWRB before they can determine how much longer the ongoing water interruptions would be.

Maynilad Water Services, Inc. Spokesperson Jennifer C. Rufo said in a text message, “We are spreading out that limited supply so that all customers will receive some water even within a few hours daily. The interruption schedules we implement will greatly depend on the allocation that NWRB will give to the MWSS.”

“Interruption hours could extend if less supply is given. Most affected in the West Zone are the highly elevated portions, and those that are farthest from the source, like Cavite,” she added.

For Manila Water Co., Inc., Group Head for Corporate Strategic Affairs Nestor Jeric T. Sevilla Jr. said in a separate text message, “We are already implementing longer hours of water interruption as Angat has already breached its critical level. Further longer hours of interruption will be dependent on NWRB if it will further reduce the current 36 CMS allocation to the concessionaires. The entire East Zone is affected with highly elevated areas and those located far from our pumping and booster stations heavily affected.” — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Baguio to get help from Metro Manila, Davao City for traffic management center

BAGUIO CITY Mayor-elect Benjamin B. Magalong said over the weekend that “a team of experts” from Metro Manila and Davao City will help set up a command center for managing traffic congestion in the popular mountain destination. In a statement posted on Baguio’s official Website, Mr. Magalong said the facility will be similar to the 911 center in Davao City, which will also be used for security and disaster management operations. The incoming mayor, a former police director for the Cordillera region and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said President Rodrigo R. Duterte has “assured him of funds required to guarantee the integration and eventual full operation of a command center to deal with traffic, peacekeeping and disaster management.” The amount has yet to be finalized and one of the factors that will determine budget would be the center’s location. The sites being considered are the City Buildings and Architecture Office building and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council building. Mr. Magalong is currently holding dialogues with the city’s various sectors in preparation for his first term in office.

Sicogon Island village under state of calamity due to dengue cases

THE VILLAGE of San Fernando in Sicogon Island, which is under the town of Carles in Iloilo, has been placed under a state of calamity due to a sudden spike in the number of dengue cases. Julieto A. Manggasang of the Carles Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said the increase started on May 14 with two children admitted to a hospital for dengue. “Since then, cases have been rising,” he said in a phone interview on Saturday. San Fernando, with a population of over 1,000, is one of the three barangays in Sigocon Island where Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is developing a tourism estate. “The affected population are mostly school children aged 18 and below. They were admitted to the to Jesus M. Colmenares Memorial District Hospital in Balasan, Iloilo while the critical cases were brought to West Visayas Medical Center,” Mr. Manggasang said. The declaration of a state of calamity gives the barangay access to emergency funds to address the situation. Mr. Manggasang said the municipal government and barangay officials, with assistance from ALI, are working together to conduct clean-up drives and spraying activities to combat mosquito breeding sites. — Emme Rose Santiagudo

P160M fake cigarettes, machines found in Bulacan warehouses

THE BUREAU of Customs-Enforcement and Security Service (BoC-ESS) found more than P160 million worth of fake cigarettes, cigarette-making machines, and other smuggled goods stored inside two warehouses in Bulacan last June 13. In a statement released on Sunday, BoC said ESS agents inspected the warehouses in Marilao and Sta. Maria with Letters of Authority issued by the Office of the Commissioner. Found inside the Marilao warehouse were 1,339 master cases of fake Mighty, Fortune, Hope, Belmont, Marlboro, Modern, Double Happiness and Camel cigarettes valued at P40.170 million. In Sta. Maria, nine cigarette-making machines and fake cigarette tax stamps worth P120 million were discovered. Other seized items included imported drinking glasses and wall clocks. Warrants of Seizure and Detention will be issued against the items pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and RA 8293, the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

Japanese group to plant cherry blossoms in Davao City, Marawi

JAPANESE CHAMBER of Commerce-Mindanao Vice-President Takeyoshi Sumikawa has announced that they are working with Japanese agriculturist Masayuki Takahashi to plant 10,000 cherry blossom seedlings in Barangay Mintal, Davao City and in Marawi City. “We will start the project very soon,” he said, noting that they have initially brought 800 seedlings of sakura, Japanese for cherry blossoms, and started to grow these in a nursery located at the Eden Nature Park in Davao. “We will start the experiment and we want to confirm that the sakura trees will grow in Mintal. It takes three years for sakura trees to grow and come out with flowers,” he said. A part of Mintal is known as the “Little Tokyo” in Davao, an old Japanese settlement pre-dating World War II where a Japanese cemetery is located. Mr. Sumikawa said planting sakura trees is a good investment in terms of attracting more tourists.

MARAWI CITY
In Marawi, Mr. Sumikawa said they have visited the so-called ground zero from the 2017 siege and want to contribute to rebuilding the devastated city. He said they had a meeting with Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana and expressed their intention to borrow military land in Marawi for the sakura trees. “We want to start experimental planting in Marawi. We can start next year. Considering the weather there, which is suitable for sakura trees,” he said. In Japan, he explained, cherry blossoms symbolize peace and the beauty of life, and stands as a reminder that life, while overwhelmingly beautiful, is also tragically short. “This is the first time that we will try planting sakura in the Philippines. We want to show the sakura to the Filipinos,” he said. — Maya M. Padillo

CoA flags Yolanda funds for PCOO employees; National Museum’s poor management of artworks

THE COMMISSION on Audit (CoA) flagged the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) for non-liquidation of assistance funds for its 20 employees who were victims of typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) and the 7.2 magnitude earthquake, which both hit the Visayas in 2013. In its 2018 annual audit report, CoA noted that the non-liquidation of the Yolanda funds deprived the victims of full financial assistance while one beneficiary did not receive her financial aid. The report said the Office of the President (OP) donated P1.37 million from the President’s Social Fund (PSF) to the PCOO in April 2015. The donation was distributed in two tranches. The state auditors said although the full amount was paid to beneficiaries as of August 2015, there was “poor monitoring” of the donations, which resulted to one employee not receiving her P15,000 financial aid for three years. CoA also noted that only the first tranche was released to the PCOO due to the non-fulfillment of the condition for the release of the second tranche, delaying the supposed P30,000 to P100,000 aid for house repairs of the beneficiaries. CoA also stated in the report that during its interview with the concerned PCOO officials and employees, they disclosed that “during the presidency’s transitional stage midyear of 2016, no proper turnover of official files and documents was done by the previous administration.” The auditing agency recommended that PCOO immediately release the P15,000 to the intended beneficiary from the first tranche and submit to the OP the liquidation report of the first tranche to release the remaining fund.

NATIONAL MUSEUM
In the same report, COA called out the National Museum for its “inadequate” and “improper” management of artworks and archeological specimens. It said the museum has “unaccounted and undocumented” borrowed items from external sources, which violates Republic Act No. 8492 or the National Museum Act of 1998. The report indicated that various benefactors, private and government institutions, have lent 864 items to the National Museum’s Fine Arts Division and eight items to the Zoology Division from the University of Santo Tomas Museum. However, only nine of the 23 memoranda of agreements (MOA) were submitted to the Fine Arts section, while none was given to the Zoology Division before displaying the loaned art and historical pieces. “It was noted in the report of Fine Arts Division that there were works of arts being exhibited already but the MOA is either pending for signing or for renewal while Zoology Division was not able to provide any supporting documents,” CoA said. The state auditors also flagged the National Museum for its “unsubstantiated” report on museum collections loaned to government agencies and private institutions. The report showed that 12 art and archaeological pieces were loaned to churches, government agencies, and universities abroad but “no loan agreements or other supporting documentation were provided by the Management despite written requests of the Audit Team.” With these findings, the state auditors recommended that the National Museum “ensure that received artworks and specimens, whether purchased or donated, shall be initially accounted by the Property Custodian.” — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

ROS edges Dyip in OT

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Rain or Shine Elasto Painters swung back into the win column in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup after holding off the Columbian Dyip, 88-86, in overtime in an out-of-town match in Batangas City on Sunday.

Absorbed a tough defeat last time around where they blew a big lead to an undermanned Northport Batang Pier squad, the Elasto Painters averted dropping back-to-back games by holding tough in the end against a spirited challenge from the Dyip.

The win improved Rain or Shine to 3-3 while sending Columbian down to a third straight defeat and a 1-6 card in the midseason PBA tournament.

The game got to a competitive start with the two teams going on spurts and counter-spurts, eventually fighting to a 27-22 count, with Columbian on top, after the first quarter.

Rain or Shine would open the second canto strong, led by import Denzel Bowles.

It outgunned Columbian, 18-4, in the first six minutes to race to a nine-point advantage, 40-31.

But rookie CJ Perez and the rest of the Dyip would regain their footing the rest of the way, narrowing their deficit to just five points, 44-39, heading into the halfway juncture of the contest.

The nip-and-tuck nature of the game continued in the third frame as the two teams kept the pressure on one another.

Columbian came to within a point, 54-53, at the seven-minute mark, and reclaimed the lead, 55-54, after a minute.

Rain or Shine responded with a 5-0 run after to build a 59-55 advantage with three minutes left in the quarter.

Momentum swung back-and-forth for the remainder of the period with the score winding up knotted at 62-all entering the final 12 minutes.

With the game anything but settled, the two squads jockeyed aggressively to get early control in the fourth.

The Dyip sprinted to a 70-63 lead by the 8:46 mark.

Rain or Shine made attempts to narrow the gap and was successful in it, tying the score at 71-all with 4:42 to go care of import Bowles.

The Elasto Painters continued to take it to the Dyip, seizing a two-point lead, 77-75, with 2:35 remaining after a triple from rookie Javee Mocon.

Rashawn McCarthy then drained a three-pointer to hand back the lead to Columbian, 78-77, with 2:05 remaining.

Rain or Shine, however, came back with a deuce from Rey Nambatac 50 seconds after to go on top, 79-78.

Columbian sued for time after to set up a play but it was forced into a turnover in the inbounds play to hand back the ball to the Elasto Painters.

A split from the charity line by Mr. Bowles increased Rain or Shine’s lead to two points, 80-78, with 47 ticks left.

The Dyip once again called for time after. They went to import Lester Prosper but his three-pointer air-balled.

Rain or Shine secured the rebound then called timeout.

Columbian fouled Mr. Bowles with 24 seconds remaining, who in turn split his charities once again to leave the door open for the Dyip.

The Dyip capitalized on it with Mr. McCarthy draining the game-tying triple with a second left that eventually sent the game to overtime.

Columbian gained early traction to begin extra time with Rain or Shine catching up with it at 84-all with three minutes on the clock.

The score was still knotted at 86-all with 38 seconds remaining.

Mr. Perez managed to find his way to the hoop but failed to finish the basket giving Rain or Shine a chance to win the game with 17 ticks left.

Off a timeout, the Elasto Painters went to Mr. Mocon but Mr. Perez was able to deflect the ball with four seconds remaining in the game.

Rain or Shine called timeout anew and after they went inside the paint to Mr. Nambatac, who connected to hand the lead to his team, 88-86, with 2.6 seconds to go.

Columbian tried to salvage the win but the Elasto Painters’ defense held tough to preserve the victory.

Mr. Bowles led Rain or Shine with a triple double of 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. He, however, went 7-of-21 from the free throw line. Mr. Nambatac and Jewel Ponferrada backstopped him with 10 points each.

For Columbian it was Mr. Prosper who showed the way with 26 points and 15 rebounds with Mr. McCarthy finishing with 15 points.

Back nine 28 helps Reavie to 6-shot lead at Travelers

CONNECTICUT — A blistering seven-under-par 28 for the back nine saw Chez Reavie romp to a six-stroke lead in the third round of the Travelers Championship in Connecticut on Saturday.

Six back at the turn, Reavie birdied seven holes coming home to shoot a seven-under 63 as he took aim at his first PGA Tour victory in 11 years.

His 16-under 194 put him comfortably in front of Keegan Bradley (69) and Zack Sucher (71) at TPC River Highlands.

Sucher, the second-round leader, blew a five-stroke lead with a bogey, double-bogey, double-bogey start to the back nine.

Reavie, who tied for third in last week’s US Open, played the final nine holes in a course-record tying 28, 12 strokes better than Sucher.

“I just tried to stay patient and tried not to press,” Reavie said after watching Sucher make four birdies on the front nine.

“So when I start making putts I think he started feeling it a little bit and started playing a little bit more aggressively than he normally would’ve.”

Reavie, whose only PGA Tour win came at the 2008 RBC Canadian Open, put together four consecutive birdies to start the back nine, then added three more at the 15th, 17th and 18th holes.

He also birdied the eighth after his lone bogey at the sixth. “Been feeling great with the putter for a while now,” said Reavie, who also putted well in the US Open.

Sucher was still optimistic despite the meltdown.

“The front nine was a lot of fun; back nine wasn’t much,” he said.

“I don’t feel like I did that much wrong on the back (nine). The doubles on 11 and 12 weren’t far off from being pretty good shots.”

Sucher said he was not thrown off by Reavie’s birdie run.

“It was more about me trying to get in with a good score,” Sucher said.

Australian Jason Day (68) and Mexico’s Roberto Diaz (67) shared fourth at nine-under. Bryson DeChambeau (64) and Kevin Tway (66) were in a group of four at eight-under that also included England’s Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Scotland’s Martin Laird (68).

World number one Brooks Koepka stumbled home with a two-over 72, recording four birdies, four bogeys and a double that left him 15 strokes adrift of Reavie.

“I’m dead. I’m fried,” said Koepka. “My body is starting to ache, too.”

Defending champion Bubba Watson spiralled downward as well with six bogeys in a round of 73 that put him 14 shots behind at two-under for the tournament.

“I’m just trying to gear up and get ready for the next event,” Watson said. “At some point I’m going to have a shot, and so I’ve got to stay ready and try to learn from this and keep moving on.” — Reuters

Game-winning deuce gives VetHealth-Delhi Chooks-to-Go Patriot’s Cup 3×3 second-leg title

FIELDING a complete lineup, VetHealth-Delhi 3BL took down the second leg of the 2019 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Patriot’s Cup presented by Coca-Cola.

Still, the world’s no. 15 squad needed a game-winner from Kiran Shastri to outlast the Phenom-Basilan Steel, 21-20 (3:36), Sunday afternoon at the SM Fairview Events Center.

“It was a hard-fought tournament. Really excited to be here,” said Shastri, the no. 62-ranked player in the world. “It was a good win for us and we’re really proud of the way we played.”

Down 19-20 with under four minutes left in the game, Shastri missed a deuce but was rebounded by big man Bikramjit Gill. Bikramjit then found a wide-open Shastri, who knocked down the game-winning deuce.

“Our opponents were great and we just tried to win,” continued Shastri, who had eight points in the game.

Fil-Am guard Franky Johnson was on fire to start the game, scoring 12 of Phenom-Basilan’s first 16 points to give his side a three-point lead with 5:13 left.

However, Bikramjit Gill and newcomer AJ Gill powered VetHealth-Delhi to a 5-0 run, giving the Indian team a two-point cushion.

Needing a bucket to stop the bleeding, import Marcus Hammonds took matters into his own hands, knotting things up with a huge deuce with 4:10 remaining.

Inderbir Gill answered right back by willing his way to the paint for a lay-in to give Delhi the advantage but Roosevelt Adams was not to be denied. The 6-foot-4 sniper knocked down a deuce with 3:57 left in the game to retake the lead for Phenom-Basilan.

This led to the heroics of Shastri.

Indian national team member AJ Gill added seven points for VetHealth-Delhi.

Besides bringing home P 100,000, VetHealth-Delhi closed in on Gold’s Gym-Pasig in the standings.

The Kings, who will miss the third leg as they will join the Poitiers Challenger in France from July 6 to 7, remain on top with 170 points. VetHealth-Delhi and Phenom-Basilan are tied at second with 160 points. Wilkins-Balanga completes the top four with 130 points.

This was the first-ever leg in league history that did not feature either Pasig or Balanga in the finals as the former lost to Basilan, 20-18, while the latter fell to Delhi, 22-15 (1:43).

In the side events, Shastri retained his Coca-Cola Two-point Shootout crown after outlasting Inoza-Gulf Bulacan’s Jan Jamon in the 25-second tiebreaker, 6-5.

On the other hand, David Carlos remained as the Coca-Cola Slam Dunk king after stamping his class over Jebb Bulawan and Kenyan dunk artist Obi Fly.

The third stop of the Patriot’s Cup takes place on Saturday, July 6, at the SM Muntinlupa Events Center.

Smart supports Gilas Pilipinas Youth bid at FIBA Under-19 World Cup

MEMBERS of the Gilas Pilipinas Youth team won’t have any problems keeping in touch with family and friends while representing the country in the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece starting June 29. The team has been equipped with several Smart Travel WiFi units that will provide them with reliable data connectivity.

Smart Travel WiFi is a plug-and-play wireless modem or pocket WiFi that connects any capable device to the internet. These units were provided by Smart Communications, the wireless subsidiary of leading telecoms and digital services company PLDT, to give the young players with connectivity while they face Greece, Argentina, and Russia during the preliminary rounds.

“The Smart Travel WiFi is a complement to our existing roaming services to keep you connected whenever you travel. Smart Roaming keeps an individual securely connected while Smart Travel WiFi allows more than one phone or gadget to conveniently access the internet without spending a lot of money,” ​said Alice Ramos, Smart vice president and department head of international roaming & carrier business.

“With these Smart Travel WiFi units, the players can stay connected to their families, friends, and fans all over the world, while they raise our flag in the world basketball stage,” said Gabby Cui, Smart assistant vice president and head of community development and partnerships.

PLDT Global and Smart executives provide the Gilas Pilipinas Youth team with Smart Travel WiFi units during the team’s send-off for the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup

The Gilas Pilipinas Youth is composed of Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, Gerry Abadiano, Migs Oczon, Terrence Fortea, Joshua Ramirez, Dalph Panopio, Bismarck Lina, Geo Chiu, Carl Tamayo, Rhayaan Amsali, Dave Ildefonso, Xyrus Torres, and James Spencer.

Under the tutelage of Coach Sandy Arespacochaga, the team will have several tuneup games in the country and in Doha, Qatar, before they head off to the big event in Greece.

Phisgoc still recognized but only as a committee — says new POC president

THE PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) will continue to recognize Taguig Congressman-elect Alan Peter Cayetano as chairman of the ad hoc committee for the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Joey Romasanta, the newly installed POC president, yesterday said Cayetano remains on top of the organizing body by virtue of his appointment made by former POC chief Jose “Peping” Cojuangco two years ago.

The Phisgoc, however, has to function as a mere committee under the Olympic council rule and not as chief of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation, Inc., different body formed by Cayetano which he claimed should be on top of the organizing chores for the Games even if it does not have the POC Board’s approval.

Although Cayetano is not an incorporator of the Phisgoc Foundation, members of his inner circle in Ramon Suzara, Donaldo Caringal, Dexter Estacio and Monica Anne Mitra are all part of it, together with recently-resigned POC president Ricky Vargas, POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio, POC communications director Ed Picson and former POC chairman Tom Carrasco.

The Phisgoc Foundation took over the functions of the POC and made some crucial decisions on its own, like the creation of the Games’ official logo, theme, mascot and other marketing collaterals without the approval of the POC board.

It also entered into contracts and is largely blamed for the very slow buildup for the Games as questions in transportation, accommodation, sponsorship, marketing campaign, venues, volunteer program, parade uniform and technical handbook have recently surfaced.

Romasanta said he is set to sit down with Cayetano in the coming days to map out the SEA Games preparations.

“This is a complex problem that needs simple solution,” said Romasanta, the former POC first vice president who assumes the POC presidency via succession after Vargas filed his irrevocable resignation last Tuesday.

“We have to revert to the original plan of having Sec. Cayetano as chairman of the organizing committee under the POC. With that, I am seeking a one-on-one meeting with him before forming a tripartite agreement with him and (Philippine Sports Commission) Chairman Butch Ramirez.”

Discussion is still underway, but a POC board member in lawyer Clint Aranas hinted that they might review all contracts that Phisgoc Foundation had entered into.

Aranas, the designated spokesperson of the POC, said if they don’t see any problem with the contracts, they would gladly approve them before the general assembly.

“First of all, we have to find out what these contracts are about,” said Aranas, the archery president and general manager of the Government Service Insurance System.

“We’re going to review these contracts. If they are within the authority given to the chairman (Cayetano) based on his appointment as chief of the organizing committee, and for as long as it accords with the POC charter and by-laws, then I don’t think there will be problems. We will ratify it.”

Romasanta, however, suggested that there should be a cut-off on the dates that the contracts were made.

“Another solution is to come up with a cut-off,” said Romasanta, an old hand in sports after serving as chief of the Project: Gintong Alay in the 1980s.

“We have to agree on the date we assumed position. We will be accountable for the contracts made after we assumed position while they will be answerable to those made before we got here.”

“There are a lot of ways to skin a cat. But at this point, the most important way is to make sure that we come up with a successful hosting of the Southeast Asian Games.”

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