{"id":238626,"date":"2019-11-28T04:52:26","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T09:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=238626"},"modified":"2019-11-28T04:52:26","modified_gmt":"2019-11-28T09:52:26","slug":"palace-hopes-for-successful-ph-hosting-of-sea-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/11\/28\/palace-hopes-for-successful-ph-hosting-of-sea-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Palace hopes for successful PH hosting of SEA Games"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
While President Rodrigo Duterte had raised concerns over the supposed mishandling of SEA Games preparations by the private organizing panel, he wanted unity among Filipinos to ensure the successful conduct of the biennial multi-sport event, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday. (File photo:<\/a> Office of the Presidential Spokesperson\/Facebook<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
MANILA<\/strong>\u00a0— Malaca\u00f1ang remains optimistic that the Philippines\u2019 hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will conclude \u201cwith flying colors\u201d despite controversies besetting the regional sports meet.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
While President Rodrigo Duterte had raised concerns over the supposed mishandling of SEA Games preparations by the private organizing panel, he wanted unity among Filipinos to ensure the successful conduct of the biennial multi-sport event, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201c(There are) certain allegations of fraud and he wants this probe(d), but after the SEA Games. Meanwhile, we have to help each other, cooperate, and hopefully, we will finish with the SEA Games with flying colors,\u201d Panelo said in an interview with ANC.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Issues on unfinished venues, transportation, accommodation, food, and other logistics hound the country\u2019s hosting of the SEA Games ahead of its formal opening at the Philippine Sports Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan on November 30.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The 30th SEA Games will take place from November 30 to December 11.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), a private entity responsible for the preparations for the SEA Games, assured the country on Wednesday that the concerns raised by participating countries have already been ironed out.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Panelo expressed hope that the PHISGOC, led by House of Representatives Speaker Alan Cayetano, would learn from its mistakes and become \u201cmore creative\u201d to ensure the Philippines\u2019 successful hosting.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWhatever mistakes we have, we have to learn from them. And then go forward.\u00a0Hindi naman pupwedeng basta na lang tayo reklamo nang reklamo, wala naman tayong gagawin<\/em>\u00a0(We cannot just complain without doing anything),\u201d he said. \u201cWhatever is lacking, then fill it up. The country\u2019s image and pride are at stake so let us pull our resources together.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Stop bashing, spreading \u2018false\u2019 news<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Acknowledging that there was \u201csomething wrong\u201d with the preparations, Panelo noted the need for PHISGOC to \u201cperform better services expected of them.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Panelo likewise urged Filipinos to just support the government as it hosts the SEA Games, instead of making hateful comments.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He also encouraged media outfits to be \u201cmore prudent\u201d in their reporting and avoid publishing unverified information, as he said that \u201callegations are remembered, not their clarifications or justifications.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWe ask everyone to be more circumspect in reading articles that may contain false information or fake news. Let us not believe them outright. Many of them turn out to be untrue,\u201d Panelo said in a statement sent to Palace reporters. \u201cLet the games to continue without the attendant raucous bashing. Our local athletes deserve our support. Let us welcome our foreign guests with the kind of warm hospitality we are known for.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Probe set after SEA Games<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Meanwhile, Panelo said the President had decided to conduct an investigation into the SEA Games\u2019 blunders after the event.
\nHe said Duterte\u2019s office will conduct a separate probe.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It was, however, unclear whether the Chief Executive would tap the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to lead the investigation.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThe Palace notes that the Senate intends to conduct an inquiry on the issues, which hounded the organization of the event. We welcome such initiative,\u201d Panelo said. \u201cThe Office of the President will also be conducting a separate probe on the aberrations and irregularities in the administration of our country’s hosting of the SEA Games immediately after the games.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
PACC chair Dante Jimenez said on Tuesday that there would be an immediate investigation into the issues surrounding the SEA Games, once a complaint is lodged before his office.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Jimenez said the PACC may also \u201csilently\u201d launch a \u201cmotu proprio\u201d (on its own) investigation against the SEA Games organizers.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Panelo guaranteed that Duterte would hold accountable all individuals, including his allies, who indeed made irregularities.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cGiven the character of this President,\u00a0wala naman ditong kaibi-kaibigan<\/em>\u00a0(he does not give preferential treatment to his friends). You see how he fires people. He fired people who are close to him. \u2018Pag may (If there is) irregularity, graft, corruption, he (the accused) will be accountable,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
PH image untainted<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Despite controversies surrounding the SEA Games, Panelo expressed his belief that the Philippines\u2019 image as this year\u2019s host of the biennial event remains untainted.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He also noted that some of the \u201cfake\u201d news about the country\u2019s preparations for the SEA Games had already been debunked.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not as bad as you pictured it to be.\u00a0Hindi naman.<\/em>\u00a0Like there are many complaints\u00a0na hindi naman pala totoo<\/em>\u00a0(It\u2019s not because there are many complaints that are not true),\u201d Panelo said when quizzed if the issues on the SEA Games\u2019 preparations had an impact on the Philippines\u2019 image.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
All government offices, consistent with their respective mandates, have been instructed to assist PHISGOC in preparatory activities, such as the procurement of necessary materials and equipment, provision of support services, and acceptance of donations for the country\u2019s hosting of the Games, according to Memorandum Circular (MC) 56 signed by Malaca\u00f1ang on January 25.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
MC 56 also mandates the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee, and all concerned national sports associations to coordinate and support one another for the effective preparation and successful participation of the Philippine delegates in the 2019 SEA Games and all preparatory and relevant competitions.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The President has also intended to give additional incentives and medals in the Order of Lapu-Lapu to winning Filipino athletes, Panelo said.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cTo all the athletes participating in the games, we wish them the best of luck as they display their wares and talents in the competition,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MANILA\u00a0— Malaca\u00f1ang remains optimistic that the Philippines\u2019 hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will conclude \u201cwith flying colors\u201d …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":222653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1145,16,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-238626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headline","category-news","category-news-ph","mauthors-ruth-abbey-gita-carlos","mauthors-philippine-news-agency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238626"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":238627,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238626\/revisions\/238627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}