Angara calls for ceasefire on SEA Games debates as opening nears

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sonny Angara called for a ceasefire on debates amid controversies surrounding the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Angara feared that the funding issues being raised on the country’s hosting of the  SEA Games might distract the athletes.

“Hosting ng Games yan. Dapat naka-concentrate tayo dito. Kasi yung mga atleta natin, kapag maraming issue, baka ma-distract e. Dapat naka-focus lang sa mga competition nila,” Angara Friday said in a statement.

(This is the hosting of the games. We should concentrate here. If there are any issues, our athletes may get distracted. We should focus on their competition instead.)

The senator made the call amid debates on the funds spent for the SEA Games, including a P50-million worth stadium cauldron.

Chair of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation Inc. and House Speaker Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, however, defended its cost saying the cauldron was not excessive since it was designed by a national artist and was even cheaper by the one built by Singapore.

Angara, who chairs the Senate Committee on finance, assured the expenses of the SEA Games will eventually undergo scrutiny by the Commission on Audit (COA).

“Dadaan naman talaga sa auditing ang lahat ng yan. Lahat ng gastusin ng gobyerno ay dadaan talaga sa cost audit,” Angara said.

(Everything will really have to undergo auditing. All the expenses of the government always have to undergo a cost audit.)

“Titignan ito ng Commission on audit. Yun talaga ang trabaho ng ahensya — kung nagastos ba ng tama ng ahensya yung pera dyan,” he added.

(The Commission on Audit will look in to this. That’s the job of the agency— whether the funds were spent aptly or not.)

The country will host the 30th SEA Games from November 30 to December 11 and will be held in several venues including the newly built New Clark City in Pampanga, Subic Bay Freeport and Metro Manila.

Edited by MUF