FOCAP hits back at PHISGOC: We report defeats and victories, failures and triumphs

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) on Thursday said negative reports on the shortcomings of PHISGOC should not be blamed for issues hounding the country's hosting of the biennial meet.

"Independent journalists report problems and issues imbued with public interest as they happen and become evident and do not delay the time to press for accountability," FOCAP said in a statement, in response to the remarks of PHISGOC chief operating officer Ramon Suzara in a news conference on Wednesday.

"We report defeats and victories, failures and triumphs," it added.

FOCAP Statement on #SEAGames2019 issues (THREAD):

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines denounces remarks by Southeast Asian Games organizers blaming the media partly for the flurry of negative reports on logistical issues that were raised publicly by...

— FOCAP (@FOCAP2019) November 28, 2019

FOCAP also said Suzara's suggestion to the media to report only positive news "betray their bedrock mandate of providing the public with truthful information that is at the heart of the basic freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution."

According to FOCAP, PHISGOC should do their work "diligently and honestly" so that the media can "show love for the country and people in this jubilant season of sportsmanship."

"Anything less would be tantamount to cheating that is so detested in athletics."

During a press conference on Wednesday, PHISGOC officials led by Suzara asked members of the media to focus on the positives rather than the problems that went with hosting an international sporting event such as the SEA Games.

"I'm appealing to all of you to give a positive note on what we have done," Suzara said, citing the supposed negative coverage of the media.  Also during that press conference, Suzara said all issues raised by foreign players had been addressed.

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

'Bribery attempts'

Meanwhile, FOCAP also took exception to PHISGOC chairman Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano's insinuations that there were bribery attempts to the media to malign the country's hosting of the biennial sporting event.

"Such sweeping accusations, without a shred of evidence and laced with threats of libel suits, are totally unacceptable and tend to intimidate journalists from reporting irregularities objectively," the organization said.

Earlier in the day, Cayetano said: "Even ilan sa mga media, umamin na sa amin na may umaagos na pera para siraan ang SEA Games. I don't know [how much] because these were just told to me by close friends and they told me, buti na lang walang tumatanggap kasi for the country ito."

Cayetano chairs (PHISGOC), a foundation supervising all the preparations and hosting of the SEA Games.  — RSJ, GMA News