SEA Games opening rites will make critics ‘eat their own words’ —Salceda

Critics of the mishaps in the country's staging of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will "eat their own words" once they see the opening ceremonies of the sports event this weekend, Albay Representative Joey Salceda said Wednesday.

In a news forum in Manila, Salceda declared that the 2019 SEA Games will be the "biggest" in history.

He added that the glitches that have popped up in relation to the event have been addressed immediately.

"Pagdating ng November 30, there will be a tidal wave of reversal of public sentiment. These games will make you proud as a Filipino. I'm sure of that," Salceda said.

"This will be the best-hosted SEA Games in history compared to all others combined. Yung mga nega, they will eat their own words by the time of the opening ceremonies," he added.

FULL COVERAGE: 30th Southeast Asian Games on GMA News Online

Salceda said that in the past 14 hours that he has been monitoring the Games, he has not observed any new mishap.

He also claimed that out of the 125 arrival teams for the Games, only three experienced inconveniences which have been addressed right away.

"Most of the mishaps have generally been answered like 'yung kaldero, 'yung kikiam [that] it's actually chicken sausage, like foreign media center, it's not that one. We have world-class football facilities," he said.

Salceda also claimed that Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Philippines Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, has been very meticulous in the preparations for the Games.

"Metikuloso ang aking Speaker and I would say he's obsessed in making that SEA Games an affirmation of the Filipino character, what is best in us. Sa opening remarks pa lang, makikita niyo doon na you will be proud that you are a Filipino," he said. — BM, GMA News