De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 955 urging Congress to determine the events and circumstances that led to the standoff between pole vaulter EJ Obiena and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) to prevent similar events from happening in the future involving nationally-funded athletes.

“National athletes are a source of national pride. Whenever they compete and excel, they become beacons of hope and inspiration to hundreds of millions of Filipinos to never give up on their dreams,” she said.

“While there seems to be no other option but to let the investigation play itself out, the Philippine Sports Commission should review its guidelines and procedures to ensure that these types of incidents are altogether avoided for the sake of our national athletes,” she added.

It can be recalled that PATAFA ordered Obiena, Asian record holder and fifth-ranked in the world, to return €85,000 or P4.8 million because of the allegation that he purportedly ‘falsified the liquidations submitted to the PATAFA and failed to pay the coaching fees of Vitaly Petrov’ – an accusation that both Obiena and Petrov denied.

Petrov, who insisted that he never filed a complaint against Obiena, maintained that he was paid his full salary of roughly P4.8 million, admitting that the pole vaulter sometimes paid him late and in irregular tranches but it was due to the late remittance from PATAFA.

To date, both the PATAFA and the Philippine Olympic Committee have ordered separate probes into the matter.

The lady Senator from Bicol stressed that it is important for the PSC to help resolve the situation to ensure that ‘no more barbs are thrown that may cause irreparable damage to the relationship between Obiena and PATAFA.’

De Lima further said that athletes should not carry the burden of doing administrative tasks so they could focus on training.

“It should also be the policy of our sports agencies to minimize, if not remove, administrative tasks from our athletes in order to allow them to focus on training and prepare for sporting events without having to worry about the bureaucratic requirements that accompany the spending of public funds,” she said.

“Gabay, insentibo at dagdag na suporta ang kailangan ng ating mga atleta na maghihikayat pa sa marami sa kanilang ibuhos ang lakas at talento, hindi mga banta na magpapawala sa kanila ng inspirasyon at ganang magpatuloy,” she added.