Swim head scores gov’t intervention

In a scathing tirade, Philippine Swimming, Inc. (PSI) president Mark Joseph recently lashed out at the PSC for interfering in the private affairs of national sports and insisted that government intervention runs counter to the Olympic charter on autonomy.

“This is the secret that everyone knows – government intervention in sports,” said Joseph. “It’s happening in PSI and I will not be able to go in peace until it stops and the provisions of the Olympic charter on autonomy are respected by everyone. Naturally, this intervention emanates from the PSC and it shouldn’t especially since chairman Butch Ramirez is an old-timer. As a long-timer myself, let me tell you that all cries for good governance fail to be heard in the face of government intervention.”

While Joseph stood firm in his position, it can’t be denied that the PSC has the right to oversee and “meddle” in the affairs of NSAs that receive financial assistance from the government. By law, the PSC enjoys visitorial and supervisory powers over the NSAs in safeguarding the proper use of public funds. If the NSAs do not receive support from the PSC, then the PSC has no right to “meddle.” NSAs that don’t want the PSC to look over their shoulders should be independently funded.

But Joseph said the PSC is guilty of its own omissions. “Basically, the calls for good governance of NSAs by government are hollow because of their own failure to govern themselves accordingly,” he said. “Obviously, under President Duterte, it’s worse because the PSC is under the Office of the President.”

In specific terms, Joseph raised several issues against the PSC. “First, it does not even have a national sports development program,” he said. “Second, it receives money from gambling as an automatic allocation from Congress yet is not answerable for how it is spent to anybody because it’s an automatic and not a performance or program-based release. Third, it fails to collect the full five percent from gambling. This can be seen in different government websites and archives.

“Fourth, failure to collect the full five percent constitutes a failure to use the PSC’s power to collect on behalf of sports development as a regulatory body with police power for this purpose. And finally, the PSC uses its regulatory power to regulate NSAs which are autonomous by law and nature being NGOs.”

Joseph, however, failed to acknowledge that under Ramirez’ administration, the PSC has made headway in reformulating and executing a national sports development program on both the grassroots and elite levels. The creation of the Philippine Sports Institute, for instance, has pushed the envelope further to introduce a scientific approach to the development of sports on a nationwide basis. 

But Joseph said there can be no good governance in an atmosphere of fear and disrespect for human rights and the long-time disrespect for the autonomy of NSAs. “This is all old hat as in as old as EDSA,” he said. “That is the reason for non-performance. It’s called institutional capture and the PSC has tried to use this against the POC and the NSAs to continue as well-paid and irresponsible government sports officials.”

Joseph said congressional inquiries into government support for sports through the PSC have been converted into grandstanding moments in the Senate. “Slowly, the truth will come out,” he said. “And if anybody uses his brain, it’s time to stop picking on the PSI because this is where the nation stands to lose the most medals by the continuing non-sense in the PSC. Having stepped back, but never down, I’ve benefited from having a new perspective of an old problem. It’s really a case of bad government.”

It won’t be long now before the PSC summons the stakeholders of swimming to resolve the persistent row between the PSI headed by Joseph and the Philippine Swimming League (PSL) led by former Sen. Nikki Coseteng. Athletes are caught in the middle because those who compete under the PSL are not accredited by the PSI for POC-sanctioned events like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the Olympics even if they’re qualified to represent the country as medal prospects. 

There has to be some kind of compromise for the sake of the athletes who are being forced to take sides when they should only stand behind one national flag. Joseph, as president of the NSA recognized by the POC, has to be heard in this process of arbitration and Coseteng also deserves her day in court. The problem is if Joseph refuses to recognize the PSC as mediator, nothing will happen.