PSC: No amnesty for delinquent NSAs

Delinquent NSAs (national sports associations) seeking amnesty would have to plead their case to the Commission on Audit, not the Philippine Sports Commission.

Guillermo Iroy, the agency’s executive director, yesterday said NSAs must comply with the "no liquidation, no financial assistance policy" for them to get money.

"Only the COA can answer because there is no regulation providing for amnesty for unliquidated advances except a law punishing offenders," said Iroy.

Amnesty was an option some delinquent NSAs have sought since the bulk of the fund they have failed to liquidate were incurred by their former officials.

One example is cycling, which is No. 1 in the list of delinquent NSAs. Cycling has yet to liquidate a financial assistance granted them by the PSC worth P5 million.

Officials of PhilCycling, the new cycling group, claim that most of the unliquidated money was spent by leaders of the former group–the Philippine Amateur Cycling Association (PACA).

Even Joey Romasanta, who was named by the Philippine Olympic Committee to head a group to help delinquent NSAs on the matter, said amnesty is out of the question.

"It’s not possible because we’re talking here about government money," said Romasanta, who is also the POC spokesman.

"That is why we’re here, to help NSAs with this kind of problem. We just want to clarify to the COA and the PSC what to do, what’s the procedure," he added.

Also part of the group are weightlifting’s Monico Puentevella, sepak takraw’s Mario Tanchangco, athletics’ Go Teng Kok and POC legal counsel Ding Tanjuatco.

Curiously, Go’s Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association is encountering the same problem, having failed to liquidate P1.4 million worth of advances. — Joey Villar