Angping’s statements taken out of context, says Ermita

MANILA, Philippines – Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita reiterated that Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Harry Angping’s comments were taken out of context. Ermita, who already talked to the embattled PSC chief, said Angping has already informed him that he is not against the inclusion of Filipino-foreigner athletes or those athletes who are being trained abroad admitting that there are some areas of sports where the training provided abroad would be better. “The other organizations felt bad about (Angping’s) statements but it doesn’t necessarily mean that he has made a decision not to include in the selection of those athletes who are being trained in the US," said Ermita. Ermita added that what Angping wants is to give equal opportunities and funding for locally trained athletes one example of which is swimming wherein apart from those being trained in the US there are good swimmers from Mindanao that can be given a chance of competing in the Southeast Asian games or the Olympics. “(Angping) said that as a mater of policy, he would like the PSC to be able to spend the money equally and applicably distribute the money and not so much as being spent only for individuals who are being trained abroad," said Ermita. He said that it is only normal that such misunderstanding would occur especially since Angping is just new in his position of heading the government’s sports arm. Ermita, who denied the allegations that Angping is being discriminatory against Filipino-foreigner athletes, said it is just a matter of trying to learn the existing policies of both the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). “(Angping) is hardly two months old in his new position and misunderstanding occurs in all organizations. All they have to do is sit down and talk." Ermita said Angping is set to meet Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and POC and International Olympic Committee (IOC) representatives to finally settle the issue. The Department of Health (DoH) exercises oversight functions over the PSC. The 14-man POC executive board, headed by president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and chairman Monico Puentevella, urged Malcanang to sack Angping following his supposed discriminatory statements and policy against Filipino-foreign athletes. The POC claim that Angping’s statements, as pointed out by IOC representative to the Philippines Frank Elizalde, violates the provisions in the Olympic Charter and Republic Act 6847, or the law that created the PSC. The allegations stemmed from Angpingg’s statement that he wants a “nationalistic way" of promoting sports starting with an end in the practice of hiring Filipino-foreign athletes. – GMANews.TV