EDITORIAL – Cloud of doubt

Okay, so the 23rd Southeast Asian Games are over. The Philippines emerged as the overall champion, a feat dampened somewhat by the irresponsible accusation by the irresponsible prime minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, that the Philippines rigged the games in its favor.

The accusation was irresponsible because it was made publicly right in the middle of the games without the slightest trace of evidence offered other than the fact that the Philippines was winning medals left and right.

And Thaksin himself was irresponsible because he knew his charges drew some semblance of validity solely from the loftiness of his office and not from any shred of evidence. In other words it was malicious.

A far more decent and tactful thing to do would have been to call Philippine President Gloria Arroyo by private phone and there express his concerns directly. That way, it would have reached the person who could do something directly and spare the games from controversy.

But what is done is done. The Philippines will have to endure bearing its championship under a cloud of doubt until the next Southeast Asian Games comes around in 2007, which Thailand, incidentally, will host.

This heavy burden on the Philippines is not unlike that borne by the eventual winner of the 2004 Olympics marathon in Athens, whose win came after the one who had been leading through most of the race was tackled to the ground by a deranged spectator and never recovered.

Based on the tv coverage of the Athens marathon, the eventual winner was probably going to overtake the leading runner anyway. But then, that unfortunate intervention by the crazy man will forever swing as a " what if " question over the outcome of the race.

As for the Philippines and Thailand, the next Southeast Asian Games will prove to be a battle royale between the two countries. The Philippines should go there on one and one mission alone --- to prove its win was no fluke, and consequently humiliate its leader.

But we fear the next games will be dirty. If Thaksin wants to talk about cheating, he does not have to look very far. He can check the professional boxing records in his country to see if a foreign fighter ever gets to win against a Thai except by an indubitable knockout.