Trillanes files charges vs. sports officials
MALVERSATION charges were filed against Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco and other officials of the Philippine Sports Commission ( PSC) before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the release of government funds to a bogus National Sports Association ( NSA).
Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th, during the budget hearing on the proposed 2014 budget of the PSC, was the one who informed PSC Chairman Ritchie Garcia that complaints have been filed against him for allowing the commission to be a rubber stamp of Cojuangco.
“I just like to inform the committee that just this morning I filed a malversation case in the Ombudsman against Chairman Ritchie Garcia, Mr. Peping Cojuangco and some other people in relation to the release of PSC funds to bogus NSA,” Trillanes told the committee on Wednesday.
Trillanes however was not able provide copies of the complaint to the media, but according to him the PSC has become a rubber stamp of Cojuangco, the uncle of
president Benigno Aquino 3rd, and
that they must be stopped. According to Trillanes, Cojuangco, as president of the POC is the one who decides which NSA will be recognized and if there is an existing recognized NSA, which he doesn’t like, he will form a new NSA to replace it.
Garcia in response to Trillanes’ statement told the Senate committee that he would answer the allegation in the proper time adding that he is not aware of any malversation of public fund committed by the PSC.
He however, maintained that the PSC has been releasing funds to NSAs that are recognized by the POC and the International Olympic Committee ( IOC) as stipulated in the Republic Act 6947 the law that created the PSC.