Most corrupt, most generous

They did it. I had hoped that our sports officials now in Thailand leading the Southeast Asian Games contingent from our country, would think twice before deciding to walk out of the competitions, especially in boxing. That is the sport where we are supposed to be outstanding. Last night, however, we got reports from the Games site that six Pinoy boxers actually walked out, and would not fight anymore. To our shame, five of them are from Bacolod , Bago, and Cadiz Cities .

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The boxers were said to be disgusted over the judging where it seemed clear that they were not credited for the points they scored. I recall that this also happened even when the bouts were held here in Bacolod . What dismays me is that, after seeing such cheating, or, shall we be polite and call it “unfairness”, why did the officials of the delegation not complain, protest, and do their thing early enough? Now that our entire contingent is not doing as well as it had done when the games were held in our country, and after having seen what was happening over and over, they decide to cop out. It seems to me that at this point, whatever the reason, we will not be able to avoid gaining a reputation internationally of being “pikon (poor losers)”.

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As of yesterday, our officials were happy enough to have gone up to FIFTH place from the humiliating sixth on Wednesday. It is still a shameful comedown from the championship that we had claimed when the SEAG was held here. For all we know, the other participating countries are also saying that we had only won because of hometown decisions. Away from home and our rabid crowds, we falter and lose direction. And, it is funny to hear people exult because our boys won in basketball over Malaysia . However, as a sportswriter commented, even if it is basketball, a very popular Asian sport, the win still means only ONE gold.

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In the past few days, I have been keeping tabs of the results in Thailand (sorry, I avoid mentioning the place where the games are played because of its tongue-twisting name). It was very dismaying to keep on reading how we failed to get the gold in badminton, in futsal, in judo, karate, weightlifting, boat race, sepak takraw, gymnastics, tennis, etc. These have somehow taken some of the glow of the exemplary victories of other athletes who did their best to keep their country in the sports map of Asia . They are the ones to credit for keeping us away from the bottom of the pile.

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I wish, though, that those advertisements, especially on TV, that sound as if we are winning all the way, would be scrapped already. Everytime it is repeated, it sounds as if they are mocking those who are exerting their best to gain honors for the country, but continue to fall short of expectations. When the announcer brags about the team “bringing pride and honor to the country all over again”, or about “exemplary performance”, about “being victorious against all odds” and so forth, one can sense the irony of it all. Somebody should tell them to change or stop that kind of spiel.

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In the meantime, Pulse Asia has just released the result of its latest survey saying that this administration is the most corrupt in the history of the country, and that President Arroyo is perceived to be even more corrupt than Erap (who has been convicted for plunder), with Cory Aquino as the least corrupt of them all. President Arroyo herself has ignored that, only announcing that all government state workers will get a P10,000 bonus, and that SEAG athletes coming home with medals will also get fatter bonuses. So who cares about survey results now? It's a toss-up between “most corrupt” and “most generous”.

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It was soon found out that the survey had been commissioned by former senator Serge Osmeña, no close friend or ally of the administration. Osmeña was quick to admit it, and ask what was wrong with doing so? Well, he knows that if Malacañang wants to, it can also commission its own survey (as it may have done already), to even things up. As for former president Joseph Estrada, the one she ousted from Malacañang, he seems to be having a lot of fun these days.

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At the reunion of the Ateneo de Manila high school class of 1955, former senator Ernesto Maceda said, Erap was a standout and even entertained his former classmates with songs. I don't know if any of them were at the affair, but Erap sang “To all the girls I've loved before”, and “Please release me” which had probably worked with one girl now residing at the palace where he used to stay.*

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