The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) yesterday branded former PBA star Mon Fernandez as a game-fixer with POC president Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco boasting that he has a witness and documents that wil prove his scathing accusation.
Fernandez, a commisioner in the Philippine Sports Commision (PSC), earned the ire of the POC leadership because of his vocal stand against Cojuangco’s reign following a fresh four-year mandate the 82-year-old former Tarlac lawmaker earned last year.
“How can we entrust the national athletes to somebody who threw away games?” said Cojuangco after yesterday’s weekly PSA Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City.
Cojuangco was compeled to come out with such strong words as Fernandez continued to campaign for his removal from the POC on social media.
“He’s been saying that they’ll take over Philippine sports but he is a game fixer,” said Cojuangco.
Accusations of game fixing involving basketball players and other sportsmen have surfaced many times in the past but none of them were proven guilty.
But Cojuangco insists that he has Class A information that Fernandez, who played mainly for Toyota and San Miguel from 1975 until 1994, was involved in throwing away games in exchange for money.
“I have papers, documents and even a guy who can provide information about my claims,” said Cojuangco.
Cojuangco is referring to Pastor ‘Boy’ Saycon, formerly a race car driver and bosom buddy of ex-Toyota coach and fellow auto sport enthusiast Dante Silverio.
“They go a long way,” said Cojuangco, adding that Saycon is willing to share his knowledge of Fernandez’s knack for taking a dive.
Fernandez is out of the country to check on the training camp of judo athletes in Tokyo and countered Cojuangco’s claims.
“That’s pathetic,” said Fernandez, now 63, and also a former player of Beer Hausen, Tanduay and Purefoods.
Fernandez, however, declined to go further, saying he has yet to read news reports quoting Cojuangco about his alleged involvement in game-fixing.
“I want to se it printed so he (Cojuangco) can’t deny it,” added Fernandez.
Cojuangco is the father-in-law of Dudut Jaworski, who is married to Mikee Cojuangco. Dudut is the son of another PBA great, Robert Jaworski, who played with Fernandez when they were still with Toyota.
