MANILA --- The successful hosting of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games and victorious campaign of the Philippines should be given more importance than the problems encountered in the biennial meet, Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella yesterday said.

"What is important is that the Games went smoothly and we became champions for the first time in history," Puentevella, co-chairman of the Bacolod Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, told the DAILY STAR in reaction to the comments made by Philippine Olympic Committee Jose "Peping" Cojuangco.

Cojuangco, who is also the Philippine SEAG Organizing Committee chairman, in his keynote speech during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night at the Manila Pavilion here lambasted the BaSoc and the Cebu SEAG Organizing Committee for being the loudest to complain that they were not yet paid by the PhilSoc.

"BaSoc, on top of the P45 million (it) received directly from the national government also received P20.5 million from Philsoc, while CebuSoc, on top of the P10 million received from the national government also received P9.8 million from PhilSoc. I did not want to bring these up but they are the only ones that are very vocal and publicly complaining and so I have to explain our side," Cojuangco said.

BaSoc secretary-general Eric Loretizo said the P45 million was used for the lighting system and the rehabilitation of the Bacolod City Sports Complex and the Panaad Park and Stadium, while the P20 million was paid to the different hotels.

"If our complaints were not consistent, I do not think that the money from PhilSoc would have arrived up to now," Loretizo said, adding that the BaSoc and CebuSoc would have not complained if the allocation from the PhilSoc was delivered on time.

He said that the allocation for the payment for the hotels arrived only on the first week of this month when the PhilSoc promised them that the budget would be given before the end of the SEA Games, last month.

Puentevella, who is also an executive member of the PhilSoc, said the BaSoc and CebuSoc should be able to liquidate the allocation before the end of this month to the corresponding authorities.

It is more important that Bacolod and Cebu got their fair share of hosting the biennial meet, Puentevella, who also serves as the vice-president of the POC, said.

"We thank President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and PhilSoc for giving us the honor and rare opportunity of hosting the Games which may not come back in 15 years," he added.

CebuSoc received a total of P19.8 million from both the national government and PhilSoc for the co-hosting of the 2005 SEA Games.

CebuSoc chairman Jonathan Guardo said that PhilSoc has yet to give the remaining P2 million balance to the CebuSoc.

The failure of the PhilSoc to give the promised budget on time prompted several caterers to sue the CebuSoc, Guardo said.

"We have to be vocal because hotels and caterers threatened to sue us," he added.

The PhilSoc and Philippine Sports Commissioner Ritchie Garcia, somehow, promised CebuSoc to shoulder the expenses for the accommodation and food for the volunteers, he said. *CPT/CIT

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