Pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena reiterates his want to compete for the Philippines. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ.
MANILA, Philippines–Pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena stated he has information to show that plenty of his monetary help had been transmitted late, whilst he continued defending himself towards what he known as a besmirching “of my good title” throughout an look earlier than the Home committee on Youth and Sports activities Improvement on Tuesday.
“My information will present that I’ve acquired my funds late, generally months, months, late,” Obiena advised lawmakers, including that he has been repeatedly liquidating his bills.
Obiena’s liquidation stories can be central to the decision of the controversy that has pushed a wedge between the Tokyo Olympian and the Philippine Athletics Observe and Discipline Affiliation (Patafa), which ordered the athlete to return 85,000 euros representing the wage of his Ukrainian coach, the legendary pole vault star maker Vitaly Petrov.
His revelation of late remittances might exculpate him from legal responsibility arising from wrongly filed auditing types.
Obiena has additionally requested lawmakers to “look at the system” throughout the Nationwide Sports activities Associations (NSAs), particularly with the best way these federations deal with funds.
“I’ll ask you (lawmakers) to assist to look at the system and enact acceptable legal guidelines that can clear up the best way the NSA is run. I pray that their funds be managed and dispersed extra effectively and extra successfully,” he stated.
Obiena made the plea whilst he admitted that his funding has been frozen in mild of the controversy, one thing that Patafa had stated it might do when it fired off two memos to the athlete relating to the alleged nonpayment of Petrov.
Obiena and Petrov have since launched statements that fee had already been accomplished, however the dates of the funds might want to match liquidation stories the pole vaulter has submitted.
Obiena has stated he’s assured an intensive investigation on the difficulty will clear his title.
“I’m not a thief,” he advised lawmakers.
Obiena stated that on Nov. 15, he acquired two letters from Patafa asking him to return inside 48 hours 85,000 euros akin to the whole quantity for Petrov for his providers from 2018 to 2021 and “to clarify why I shouldn’t be faraway from the nationwide coaching pool.”
Obiena stated Patafa, led by its president Philip Juico, had already judged him as responsible and “assumed that I stole the cash.”
“I used to be portrayed as an embezzler, and a thief. I’m not a thief. I’m a Filipino athlete and I’ve my dignity. I’m an athlete and my mission is to coach and compete for the Philippines and for the Filipino individuals,” he added.
The memos, copies of which the Inquirer had obtained, didn’t particularly cost Obiena with embezzlement and theft, however used wordings that could possibly be misconstrued as such.
“Mr. Juico and the Patafa besmirched my good title in public with out even giving a possibility to be heard. I couldn’t adjust to the primary request of returning previous funds as a result of the entire cash was already paid to my coach from prior months and years of service with nearly all of the quantity paid months earlier than,” he stated.
In the course of the on-line look, Obiena, who has been based mostly in Italy, stated he’s “questioning how I may even pay my residing and coaching bills” now that his monetary help has been minimize off.
Nonetheless, Obiena stated he wouldn’t abandon the Philippines and can proceed to put on the nation’s colours.
“I would like my title cleared in public, I need to proceed to leap and characterize for the Philippines,” he stated.
Manila Rep. Manuel Lopez, who was current through the listening to, urged Obiena and Patafa to “return to the negotiation desk, mediate, and reconcile as a result of this won’t be good for all events concerned.”
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