PSC’s ‘Magnificent 7’ have no brand new cars

Not one among the Philippine Sports Commission officials facing a lifestyle check drives a brand new vehicle.

Not even chairman Eric Buhain.

Amid allegations that they have littered the PSC parking lot with a "great flash" of brand new vehicles, one of the questioned officials so close to the chairman finally broke his silence yesterday.

"Nobody among us owns a brand new car," said PSC spokesperson Arsenic Lacson, who drives a 1998 CRV, which he acquired late last year.

Lacson is just one of the seven officials, now being dubbed as the "Magnificent Seven," who, along with Buhain, were asked to submit their statements of assets and liabilities to the Commission on Audit five weeks ago.

The rest of the "Magnificent Seven" are executive director Ed Mateo who drives a 1995 Pajero, sports complex administrator Ramon Suzara who owns a 2002 Crosswind, grassroots development head Ariel Paredes riding a 1994 Civic, and executive assistants Ike Buan and Sean Solis who both move around in a 1999 Civic.

Buhain is regularly seen on board a second hand Suburban.

Lacson, however, could not confirm the identity of the seventh official in the list.

Buhain the other day defended his men, vouching for their integrity and saying there’s nothing wrong with them owning a car – brand new or otherwise.

"What’s wrong with them owning one. Don’t they have the right to own a car?," said Buhain before admitting before mediamen that he owns seven vehicles.

"Can’t I own seven cars just because I’m thirty-three years old," he asked as he welcomed the lifestyle check being pushed by Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella.

"I just hope that the thrust of this lifestyle check is not to single out anybody," Buhain added. — Abac Cordero