MANILA, Philippines — Both sides said it was an “honest mistake.”
Admittedly, a wrong photograph was used in honoring the late baseball legend Filomeno “Boy” Codiñera during the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame enshrinement last Thursday at the PICC.
A relative of Codiñera’s erroneously sent someone else’s photo to the Philippine Sports Commission, the organizer.
The wrong image appeared in the official invites, posters and a gallery of frames for the 10 honorees.
“It was an honest mistake,” said Joy Codiñera, a daughter-in-law of the sports icon who passed away in 2016 at the age of 77.
She explained that from a pile of old photographs, the wrong one was picked.
“We are still thankful to the PSC. The honor is far more important than the photograph,” she told The STAR yesterday.
PSC chairman William Ramirez issued his own statement.
“Please accept our apologies, and my personal request for understanding on the matter. I would also like to take the opportunity to say that, if it was really the wrong photo, it was an honest mistake,” he said.
Ramirez said that since the photograph came from the Codiñera family, “there was no reason for the secretariat to doubt.”
“We are thankful for the award,” said one of Codiñera’s sons, former basketball superstar Jerry Codiñera.
Ramirez said there was no harm meant.
“It does not take away from our intention to honor the achievements of this great sportsman who has made the country proud many times over,” he said.
Mang Boy surely has no problem with that.