Manila SEA Games sa 2005 di tuloy?

Nabahala ang Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) sa desisyon ng Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo na huwag nang tumakbo sa 2004 election.

Ito’y dahil posibleng hindi matuloy ang pagho-host ng South East Asian Games sa taong 2005 na ngayon pa lamang ay pinaghahandaan na ng POC.

"That’s (pagwi-withdraw sa hosting ng 2005 SEA Games) an option, but one we would not like to take actually," ani POC Secretary-General Romeo Ribaño. "The question now is ‘what now?’ Now that the President has declared she is not interested in 2004 (election). How does it affect our preparation, more so, how do we handle the preparations from here on."

Nilikha ng Pangulong Arroyo ang Philippine Sea Games Organizing Committee o (PHILSOC) kung saan si Executive Secreatary Alberto Romulo ang chairman at kalahati ng 12-man committee ay galing sa Arroyo administration.

Kung sakaling wala sa prayoridad ng Pangulo ang 2005 hosting, ayon kay Ribaño ay kailangang ngayon pa lamang ay makapagdesisyon na kung magwi-withdraw dahil kailangang maaga itong masabi sa Sea Games upang mabigyan ng sapat na panahon ang bansang mapipiling pumalit sa Philippines.

"Her (President) decision actually change the entire picture. She may or may not have the same dynamism about the hosting since she now has set her priorities.," wika pa ni Ribaño. "But it’s still a wait and see of sorts because the President has yet to make her declaration about 2005.