Obiena-Patafa row deeply concerning
WE welcome the upcoming interventions to settle a row between Ernest John "EJ" Obiena and the Philippine Athletic Track and Field Association (Patafa) to which the Filipino pole vaulter belongs. We hope this issue will lead to meaningful reforms so that our athletes can enjoy the full support that they need and deserve in representing our country.
Last November, another newspaper published a leak that Patafa had written to Mr. Obiena, asking him to return the P4.8 million given to him for his coach's fees and other expenses. Patafa President Philip Ella "Popoy" Juico explained that the association was looking into allegations that Mr. Obiena had not paid his coach despite receiving funds for that. Mr. Juico added that he had a sworn document from Sergey Bubka, president of the Ukraine Olympic Committee, detailing the allegations against Mr. Obiena.
Mr. Obiena's coach, Vitaly Petrov, also from Ukraine, however, cleared the Filipino athlete. Not only did he deny the allegations against his trainee, but the coach also accused Mr. Juico of tricking him into insinuating that Mr. Obiena had done something wrong.
Mr. Juico denied influencing coach Petrov; also mentioning in media interviews that the matter was a mere case of good governance. The Patafa president simply wanted Mr. Obiena to liquidate his expenses properly. And after the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced that it would mediate, Mr. Juico said there was no need for it because he was not fighting with Mr. Obiena.
Mr. Obiena, now among the Top 6 pole vaulters in the world, feels differently, and he demanded that his name be cleared. This scandal is an unwanted distraction from his training in Italy, and other countries have reportedly invited him to play for them. For now though, Mr. Obiena said he would stick with the Philippine team and that he still hoped to represent the country in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Meanwhile, Mr. Obiena is bogged down, defending his reputation against insinuations of embezzlement or mishandling public funds. We welcome the investigation promised by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), and we hope that the Philippine Congress also conducts its own probe as suggested by Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano to the House Committee on Youth and Development.
Questions
We hope these investigations can untangle this mess and end the drama. While we all should suspend judgment until afterward, it is hard not to sympathize with Mr. Obiena given that many Filipino athletes before him had complained about inadequate government support and even poor treatment.
As suggested, Congress should review the relationship among the athletic associations, the POC and the PSC, as well as the athletes. The whole setup reeks with rumors of dirty politics and interest groups fighting over money even as athletes and their families struggle to maintain a decent lifestyle with the funds that trickle down to them.
In the case of Mr. Obiena, the investigators should ask why he was burdened with such heavy managerial responsibilities. Mr. Juico seems off in insisting that liquidation was just pro forma and certainly not a burden.
As others noted, Patafa gave millions of pesos to Mr. Obiena, who not only had to convert them into euros, which is the currency in Italy, but also had to run these errands amid the pandemic. Mr. Obiena not only had to pay his coach directly, but also the arena where he trains and other expenses.
Why did Patafa not do all that for Mr. Obiena so he can just train?
Managing millions of pesos, converted into tens of thousands of euros, is not as simple as Mr. Juico suggested.
Besides, did Patafa release those funds on time? Were there delays that could explain why Mr. Obiena was also late in settling his obligations?
Moreover, why did Mr. Juico issue a demand letter without prior warnings? Why not simply contact Mr. Obiena, perhaps on social media, to clear up the issues? Patafa knew where he was training. It certainly knew where to send P4.8 million.
These queries give us a sinking feeling that something is terribly wrong somewhere. And it may have been there long before Mr. Obiena became a world-class pole vaulter and reputedly the first Asian to have competed in the finals of the Olympic event (Tokyo 2020).
Source: TheManila Times
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