Juico to ask DepEd over non-payment of track officials

MANILA, Philippines – Athletics chief Philip "Popoy" Juico will write the Department of Education to clarify on the issue of his track and field technical officials not getting paid of the services they rendered in the 6th ASEAN Schools Games last December.

Juico was reacting to the plan of 60 technical officials, mostly officiating centerpiece athletics of the Palaro annually, to boycott the Palarong Pambansa for DepEd's failure to pay the P7,000 allegedly promised to each of them.

"We need to resolve this issue the soonest possible time so that we could a boycott by our technical officials," said Juico. "Without our expert officials, who would officiate the competition?"

Headed by Renato Unso (tournament manager), assistant tournament manager Bienvenido Contapay, technical consultant Claro Pellosis, field referee Romeo Sotto, track referee Jesus Tubog, chief judge Janet Obiena and recorder Dominador Laboriante, officials recently sounded the alarm after getting fed up with DepEd's inaction.

“We may not officiate in the Palarong Pambansa anymore because of the DepEd's inaction,” an official who requested anonymity told The STAR. “In the last Palarong Pambansa in Laguna, we were surprised that we weren’t given what we were supposed to receive.

“We received only honorarium and food allowance, we shouldered our own accommodation and transportation expenses for us to make it to the venue,” the same source added.

Officials in wushu, volleyball, golf, badminton, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, tennis, sepak takraw and pencak silat and four and four Philippine Sports Commission employees who served as electronic timer operator at recorder were also allegedly left unpaid.

Reports showed P80 million was allotted to the event participated in by 10 countries.

The group was allegedly asked to sign the payroll by the DepEd right after the competition, which drew top student athletes from Southeast Asia.

It can also be recalled that international chess arbiter Gene Poliarco, chess tournament director in the Laguna Palaro last year, complained over DepEd’s sudden decision not to pay him the full amount for his services.

In disgust, Poliarco didn’t accept the meager amount DepEd was paying him.