Pia decries politics in Philippine sports
Transcript of Interview with Senator Pia S. Cayetano
Senate Plenary

Q: Reaksyon po tungkol sa non-recognition ng Philippine Dragon Boat Team...

SPSC: Ang tingin ko mayroong bahid ng pulitika, and I have seen it with my own eyes in many sports. So nananawagan ako sa mga bagong presidente ng mga NSAs (National Sports Associations) at sa mga opisyal ng mga agencies natin who are concerned: Kaya po ba nating gawin yung gusto ng ating Pangulo na 'we set aside politics'? Na dumaan tayo, sa 'ika nga nya, sa 'tuwid na daan'? Honestly, it boils down to politics; it boils down to egos; it boils down to unwillingness to support a particular athlete or particular team just because 'bata ng iba yun.'

Yun po talaga. But if I would be given a different reason [by our sports officials], then I'd be very happy to take a step back and allow the officials to go ahead with what they're doing. Pero time and again, this has happened, and I can only really pinpoint politics in the way that this has affected many of our athletes.

Hindi lang po Dragon Boat ang pinupuntirya ko, pero lahat po ng atleta. So kung titignan po n'yo yung resolution na fi-nile ko, ang binanggit ko doon is not just the Dragon Boat Team, kasi sila yung naka-highlight, kundi lahat po ng atleta na nakaranas na ng ganitong problema.

Q: Ano po'ng hakbang ang gagawin n'yo?

SPSC: Kakausapin ko pa ang mga kasamahan ko sa Senate. I'm sure they will be supportive. Sana may mangyari. Kasi doon sa last hearing namin [Note: Senate probe last January 2010 on the cycling fiasco during the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos], nagtitinginan lang ang mga opisyal ng Philippine Olympic Committee at Philippine Sports Commission, at wala rin namang nangyari di ba?

But with the new President now, I will not hesitate to request that the President should step in because you know these people (athletes) are the only shining light that we have in the sometimes very sad situations that we face. Like yung mga OFWs natin, nag-uuwian dahil nawalan ng trabaho, mahirap ang panahon, maraming iniimbistigahang korapsyon, ang kaligayahan na lang natin ay makita yung mga atleta natin na nag-go-gold di ba? Tapos ganyan pa ang turing sa kanila? So I will follow through on my resolution na ma-hearing agad ito, and I will also follow through on the findings of the committee hanggang to the point na kung kailangan ko pong kausapin ang ating Presidente, just to shed light on this matter.

I will give due respect and give the benefit of the doubt to the new [sports] officials kasi bago lang naman sila dyan. Pero considering na almost one year na rin sila, siguro they have some responsibility na rin in recognizing this problem. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, but again i-eexplore pa natin sa hearing, ang nagyari kasi dito, ang POC did not recognize the Dragon Boat Team, and so pag hindi po recognized yan, hindi po sila pwedeng bigyan ng PSC ng funding and whatever support. So magkadugtong ho yang recognition ng POC at support na matatanggap ng athletes from the PSC.

So we have to look at this whole thing. Ang alam natin last year, and I won't mince words, dati hindi magka-sundo ang POC at PSC. E ngayon ba magkasundo na? So pwede no po kayang ma-recognize ang Philippine Dragon Boat Team? O hindi n'yo type ang mga mukha ng mga batang yan at gusto n'yong palitan? Ano hong problema natin dyan? I don't know, I may be wrong, but I haven't really heard much from their side on this issue. So uunahan ko na to bring it up and I hope that this will spark some voluntary recognition that there is a problem. Wala naman hong nakakahiyang umamin na may problema. Ang importante, akuin natin na may problema and then hanapan natin ng solusyon.

Q: On other issues po, ano ang masasabi n'yo sa target ng DSWD na 'Zero Street Children' by year 2020?

SPSC: That is a wonderful target and I fully support it-if it is possible. It is a difficult target but I'd be very happy to provide assistance. I would be happy to look kung anong sistema ang ipapasok nila para magawa iyon at ano ang paraan nila para mahanapan ng solusyon ang problema ng street children.

Ang bill ko po is for foster care [SBN 2486 under Committee Report No.1, also known as the 'Foster Care Act of 2011']. So will you put these children in foster care? Or uuwi ba sila sa bahay nila or dadalhin sila sa institution? Because if we're talking about institutions, I'll tell you now: We don't have enough. Sa pagtatayo naman ng mga structure, where will we get the budget for that? I am fully supportive of finding a solution for street children, pero ano po ba ang solusyon na iyon? I'd be happy to know.

Q: Sang-ayon po ba kayo na dagdagan ang budget ng DSWD para magawa ito?

SPSC: Ever since naman supportive ako na dagdagan ang pondo ng DSWD, full support ako dyan. Pero I'd be happy na himayin din kung ano ang solusyon nila because based on the numerous hearings that we had on foster care, klaro po na di solusyon ang 'institutionalization.' Ang dapat po dyan ay ma-rehab sila bago maibalik sa kanilang pamilya, o kaya'y dalhin sila sa foster care home, kung saan may environment na parang may pamilya pa rin sila. Hindi lang yung dadalhin sa institusyon po. So tingnan natin kung anong magagawa natin to support that and to achieve that goal.