Duterte likely to give cash incentive to Hidilyn Diaz, says Roque

President Rodrigo Duterte will likely give a cash incentive to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz for bagging the country’s first gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, his spokesperson said Wednesday.

“Siguro po naman, meron po iyan at galing din sa mga pribado nating sector,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview on radio dzRH.

Duterte himself announced Diaz’s victory at a gathering of Visayas local chief executives in Cebu City on Tuesday night.

The President even indicated wanting to personally congratulate the Philippine Air Force member if he had the time.

Diaz bagged the gold medal in the women's 53-kg. division, lifting 92 kg. in the snatch and 115 kg. in the clean and jerk, totaling 207 kg.

The Zamboanga City native stands to receive a cash windfall of P6 million — P2 million from the Philippine Olympic Committee, P2 million from the government through Republic Act 10699, which expands the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes and coaches, and P1 million each from the Siklab Foundation and the Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hoong.

The President met Diaz in August 2016 when she made history as the first Filipino woman and Mindanaoan to win a silver medal in the Olympic Games which she accomplished in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Diaz was reported to have received P7 million at the time with P2 million coming from Duterte’s office. —KG, GMA News