Monico dares Angping to file plunder raps

MANILA, Philippines - Rep. Monico Puentevella yesterday harped on Bacolod City’s successful stint as satellite venue of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in 2005, then dared the Philippine Sports Commission to charge him with plunder for his alleged failure to liquidate P50.5 million in government assistance.

“No amount of harassment would change the fact that Bacolod City made its mark in sports history by successfully hosting the five major events in football, boxing, beach volley, volleyball and weightlifting,” said Puentevella who welcomed the challenge of facing the charges hurled by the PSC.

“This is an opportune time for me to clear my participation in Basoc (Bacolod SEA Games Organizing Committee) and put the issue to rest with finality,” added Puentevella who blamed politics behind PSC chairman Harry Angping’s demand for him to return the full amount within five days.

Atty. Sixto Brillantes of the PSC legal panel said Puentevella was given all the time to liquidate the P50.5 million in full, but the Philippine Olympic Committee chairman, the PSC claimed, failed, forcing them to order the sports official to return the money or face charges of plunder.

Puentevella seemed unfazed when he appeared in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Avenue, saying he’s been in constant touch with the Commission on Audit regarding the liquidation and that they’re just in the process of “ironing out things” until the PSC came out firing the other day.

Puentevella blamed politics behind the PSC move, and said he’s being caught in between the PSC and the POC, headed by Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, who chaired Philsoc. In the last POC elections, Cojuangco defeated Art Macapagal, who had Angping as one of his main backers.

The POC has called for Angping’s resignation twice, and at one point even wrote a petition asking President Arroyo to remove the former Manila congressman from office. But the calls were ignored by Malacañang, allowing Angping to stay on top of the PSC since his appointment last February.

Puentevella also said his bid for the post of Bacolod City mayor in 2010 may have something to do with the plunder case being readied against him. He said he’d be running against an opponent whom he claims has ties with the PSC chairman.

“If this is the price I have to pay for being the Philippine Olympic Committee chairman, then so be it,” said Puentevella, adding that the POC will soon hold a press conference denouncing the PSC move, and once again call for the resignation of Angping.

Puentevella said he’s been meeting with the government sports agency’s COA head, Mario Lipana, regarding the liquidation. He said he wrote Lipana a letter last Thursday, which was well inside the seven-day grace period given him by the PSC in a letter demanding a final liquidation last Aug. 18.

“How can they say I disrespected the PSC when I wrote a letter to the COA inside that seven-day perior, assuming that the COA will give the PSC a copy. But nonetheless, I gave the PSC a copy of that letter yesterday to show that I responded to their Aug. 18 letter,” said Puentevella.

Brillantes said the other day that Puentevella received on behalf of Basoc four checks from the PSC from July to November in 2005, but deposited them straight to his private account. All the disbursements that followed were done under Puentevella’s name, but so far there’s no clear liquidation.

Brillantes said all Puentevella could show were check vouchers with no purchase orders or official receipts.