POC PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT ARANAS CALLS PHISGOC FOR TRANSPARENCY TO RELEASE AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR SEA GAMES 2019
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) presidential candidate Atty. Jesus Clint Aranas reiterated his call to the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) to submit its financial records and audit report from the 2019 SEA Games hosting.
Image Credit: PHILIPPINE SPORTS ASSOCIATION
According to Aranas, POC had to suffer for becoming a “house divide” due to Phisgoc’s failure to submit its report and audited financial statements, even if almost a year has passed.
Phisgoc was expected to produce the records on Monday. However, Aranas asserted that a few members of the POC are obstructing the release of the reports.
“We have a handful of POC leaders who are apparently blocking the will of the POC general assembly to shed light on the truth in the controversial management and operations of the 30th Southeast Asian Games by the Phisgoc,” Aranas noted yesterday morning at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) forum.
“We are puzzled by the stand of these officials who are supposed to protect the Olympic movement in the country, their fellow POC members, the institution, the athletes, the coaches and the national stakeholders to whom they serve,” he added.
Moreover, Aranas claimed that Phisgoc breached the tripartite agreement signed among them, the POC, and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) last August 2019.
He also shed some light that several of his colleagues in the POC were paid by the Phisgoc, while many of the volunteers were not.
“What is even more disturbing to learn is that some of our colleagues were reportedly compensated by Phisgoc for their services while their fellow members performed their functions to the best of their abilities as unpaid volunteers,” Aranas shared.
He also cross-examined his opponent, incumbent POC Pres. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino’s leniency towards Phisgoc, who was chaired by former House Speaker and Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.
All that the corporate and tax lawyer wants as he claims is for the PHISGOC to submit its long-delayed report, for the body is already violating rules by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
“More than 10 months have passed. We’re just asking for financial records. A tripartite agreement, tax code law, and corporation law were breached. They are full of penalties,” Aranas said.
