By Nick Giongco
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is flexing its muscles as it attempts to straighten out national sports associations with liquidation problems.
The PSC yesterday formally signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Justice in line with the government agency’s directive to go after NSAs that have been ignoring its pleas to settle their obligations.
“It’s more of governance and accountability,” said PSC chairman William “Butch’ Ramirez, who signed the MOA with DOJ Assistant Secretary Margaret Castillo-Padilla and PSC Deputy Executive Director Guillermo Iroy.
“This MOA should deter NSAs from mishandling funds,” said Castillo-Padilla.
In the PSC’s close to 30-year existence, liquidation problems have become a part and parcel of the agency’s dealing with the NSAs.
Ramirez believes that the ages-old practice of NSAs taking the PSC’s order to liquidate for granted will hopefully come to an end.
“We can now file cases against NSAs because we have doubts if money given to the NSAs are not properly being used,” said Ramirez, stressing that the agency is not a mere funding agency but “is on top of Philippine sports.”
Ramirez insists that the PSC’s tie-up should compel the NSAs to manage their finances well as funds they get come from taxes.
“The NSA (should) become more honest and improve their governance,” he added.
This is the first time that the PSC is joining hands with the DOJ in efforts to manage its relationship with over 50 NSAs under its financial care.
“Many of the NSAs depend mainly on the PSC for funding because only a few NSAs are financially independent,” said Iroy.
