PSC chief to suspend funds for erring NSAs - but how true is it?

MANILA, Philippines - This time, the Philippine Sports Commission will go down hard on the national sports associations (NSAs) with unliquidated cash advances with the government sports agency.

Year in and year out, the PSC comes up with a list of delinquent NSAs, and the threat that they will no longer receive any financial support until they properly liquidate.

But it seems that the PSC is not serious about it because there are NSAs that continue to enjoy full support from the PSC even if they have failed to liquidate.

Chairman Richie Garcia yesterday issued the same warning.

“We will no longer release financial support to those who don’t liquidate. Bahala na sila,” said the PSC chief.

“Because unless we close the door on them, they will not take us seriously,” Garcia said. “Ilalabas namin ang list para malaman na kung sino matitigas ang ulo.”

Go Teng Kok, president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association, has dared the PSC to throw the book on these delinquent NSAs, or even file cases against them.

“There are NSAs with millions in unliquidated cash advances and yet they continue to enjoy the full support of the PSC,” said the athletics chief yesterday.

“And regarding my association, we were denied financial support just because we have a little over P44,000 to liquidate, and at one time, something like P200,000,” he said.

Go said since he could no longer produce the proper documents to liquidate, he returned the money, by digging into his own pocket, to the PSC.

“I returned the money because the PSC would not release the assistance we needed for the last SEA Games. Yet there are those with millions in unliquidated advance,” he said.

“It’s people’s money. So I dare them to file cases against the heads of these NSAs,” he added.

Garcia said when he came into office in July of 2010, the total amount to be liquidated by the NSAs were already “on the way down.”

The figure used to stand at over P130 million for 58 NSAs.

“They were all complying but their cash advances increased because of the SEA Games. We had to finance their training, exposure and equipment,” he said.

At the same time, he confirmed the fact that Go, in a couple of instances, returned the amount that his association had failed to liquidate.

“Well, it’s a sign of honesty,” said Garcia, adding that by next week, the complete, detailed list of NSAs with unliquidated cash advances will be released.

Topping the list of NSAs with unliquidated cash advances was aquatics (swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming), with a little over P10.5 million.

Wushu has P7,967,254, gymnastics P6,654,044, shooting P5,674,931, canoe-kayak P5,654,863, chess P5,430,138, volleyball P5,179,330 and football/futsal with P5,014,331.

Karatedo has P4,863,921 to liquidate, judo P4,447,668, archery P4,129,440, cycling P4,649,625, wrestling P4,521,280 and weightlifting P4,313,545.

The others with amounts to settle are muay with P3,536,144, sailing P3,279,203, table tennis P3,066,635, fencing P2,470,934, bowling P2,349,106, pencak silat P2,351,303, softball P2,303,170 and windsurfing P2,178,428.