Pacquiao mulls granting Diaz incentives from his own pocket

Philippines’ Hidilyn Diaz competes during the women’s 53kg weightlifting event at the Rio 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro on August 7, 2016. AFP FILE PHOTO

Aside from cash and other benefits from the government, Senator and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao said he is also thinking of giving Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz additional incentives out of his own pocket.

“Iniisip ko na yan (I’m thinking about it),” Pacquiao, chair of the Senate committee on sports, said when asked in an interview on Tuesday if he would give additional incentives to Diaz, who won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

READ: Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz wins silver in Rio

The senator refused to say, however, what kind of incentives he would give the silver medalist.

“Hindi na natin siguro ia-announce yan dahil hindi naman government fund yan (I prefer not to announce it because it would not be from the government fund). No need to announce it,” he said.

As head of the sports committee, Pacquiao also vowed to prioritize  reforms needed at the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), particularly the speedy processing of benefits intended for Filipino athletes.

“Yan yung talagang tutukan natin, yung mga incentives na hindi pa natatangap noong mga atleta at saka yung pag reporma ng Philippine Sports Commission (We will focus on the speedy processing of incentives the athletes haven’t received yet and reforms at Philippine Sports Commission), he said.

“Syempre matagal ako sa sports, alam ko yung pasikot-sikot dyan. Maraming problema na dapat nating ayusin at matagal ng panahon na walang humahalughog sa mga anumang problema o mga nag aasikaso sa mga ganyan. Pinababayaan lang ng iba.”

(Of course, I have been involved in sports for quite some time now  so I know everything about it. There are many problems we have to solve and it’s been a while since someone addressed the issues. Some have neglected it.)

Pacquaio said he was informed about the problems within the PSC and he promised to look into them.

“Ito yung mga tutukan natin ngayon bilang chairman ng sports committee, obligasyon ko yan na ayusin sa time ko ngayon…Sa loob ng tatlong taon siguro maayos natin yan (These are the things I need to focus on as the chairman of sports committee, it’s my obligation to solve the problems during my time…I think within three years, I’ll be able to address the issues),” he said.

The senator said his committee will meet next week to organize and start its work. RAM/rga

READ: Senators churn out praises for Hidilyn Diaz’ silver-medal win