New raps vs ex-Pagcor chief

The new management of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has brought charges against past Pagcor officials, the head of a private swimmers’ association and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for allegedly misusing more than P30 million in government funds, which allegedly left some of the country’s swimmers adrift.

Pagcor officials were joined in the complaint, filed on Tuesday with the Office of the Ombudsman, by athletes, coaches and their supporters.

The complainants alleged that the previous Pagcor management had unlawfully funneled funds meant for sports development to the private Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (Pasa), which in turn allegedly channeled the money to a school allegedly owned by the family of former Pagcor chair Efraim Genuino.

Aside from Genuino, also named respondents were Pasa president Mark Joseph; former PSC chair William Ramirez; former Pagcor president Rafael Francisco; former Pagcor board directors Philip Go, Danilo Gozo and Manuel Roxas; and former Pagcor executives Rene Figueroa, ex-executive vice president, Ester Hernandez, ex-vice president, Valente Custodio, ex-assistant vice president, and Edward King, ex-senior vice president.

They are facing complaints of graft, money laundering, technical malversation and violation of the forfeiture law.

Roster of complainants

The complainants were Pagcor, represented by board member Eugene Manalastas; Diliman Preparatory School president and team manager Anna Dominique Coseteng, the former senator; Philippine Swim League president Susan Papa; Philippine Aquatic Sports Coaches Association president Emilio Amago; former Olympian and swim coach Jairulla Jaituilla; swim coaches Edgardo Galeno, Augusto Bonilla and Dennis Cordero; Pasay City Amateur Swimming Association Nunilon Moreno; teacher Dave San Juan, and Susana Berino, the parent of a former Pasa member.

In their complaint, the athletes, coaches and their supporters alleged that they learned in 2009 that Pagcor, under Genuino, had allegedly illegally released P30 million to Pasa between 2007 and 2008.

Under the Philippine Sports Commission Act, or RA 6847, Pagcor is required to remit 5 percent of its gross income to the PSC for the promotion of sports development. The PSC then disburses the funds to various sports associations.

Authorized

The athletes alleged that in 2007, Ramirez unlawfully authorized Pagcor to deduct from its monthly remittance to PSC the expenses that Pasa incurred for the food, accommodation, venue fees, etc. for the training of national swimmers. The old Pagcor board then approved the grant of a monthly financial assistance to Pasa for the next three years.

The athletes alleged in the complaint that a substantial portion of the Pagcor funds given to Pasa was used to pay for the maintenance and upkeep of swimming pools in the Trace Aquatic Center of the Trace College in Laguna for the training costs of Pasa athletes.

They claimed that Genuino founded Trace College and maintains a direct and financial interest in the facility.

Genuino, who could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, also served as a board member of Trace College and was later replaced by his daughter. His son and wife are also officials of the school.

The complainants said that the payments that Pasa made to Trace College of funds that had originated from Pagcor “criminally redounded to the benefit of Genuino” who had a direct hand in the release and disbursement of the funds.

They contended that the former Pagcor officials were liable for approving the release of funds to Pasa, while PSC’s Ramirez was liable for aiding the release of money to the swimming group.

Laundering funds

Pasa’s Joseph is also allegedly liable for the benefiting from the Pagcor disbursements and for allegedly laundering the funds for Genuino’s benefit.

They claimed that Pasa’s expenses had not been properly liquidated or supported by documents.

“It is clear that these expenses were fabricated or otherwise falsified in transparent attempts to provide some semblance of legality to the fraud perpetrated by the respondents,” they said.

The channeling to Pasa of the funds necessary for the training, development and recruitment of athletes and coaches have been “severely damaged by these corrupt practices,” they said.