Photo: Jonathan Cellona/ABS-CBN News" width="100%" />
Starmall EDSA-Shaw’s bowling alley was chosen as one of the venues for this month’s Southeast Asian Games not because the mall is owned by Duterte ally Senator Cynthia Villar, but because it meets international standards, Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano said yesterday during a presser in New Clark City, in Tarlac province.
Cayetano, the chairman of the SEA Games’ organizing committee, also said that it was the Philippine Olympic Committee’s decision to choose Starmall as a venue, not his, GMA News reports.
Read: ‘Work of Art’: House Speaker Cayetano defends PHP50 million SEA Games cauldron
“They found [that the] bowling alleys in Starmall [are] not owned by the Villars. It’s owned by Puyat Sports. And we all know that here in the Philippines, Puyat Sports is one of the gold standards when it comes to bowling facilities, Cayetano said.
“The Villars never asked me to use any of their facilities. In fact, if you didn’t bring it up, I wouldn’t have known all of these details,” he added in English and Filipino. “What I make sure of is that there is no corruption, no favoritism, nothing excessive, nothing overpriced.”
However, Cayetano has been on the defensive since early this week precisely because of accusations that things are overpriced: namely, the staggeringly expensive PHP50 million (USD984,788) steel cauldron built to contain the games’ ceremonial flame. Cayetano maintained that the cauldron was a “symbol” and a “work of art” that was worth every penny — enough pennies, in fact, to build some 50 classrooms, according to one political opponent.
Read: ‘Is it appropriate?’: Senator Drilon questions PH50 million cauldron for SEA games
It was also yesterday that Cayetano shot down rumors that not all facilities for the Games are ready, leading some netizens to joke that the sporting event could become the Philippines’ version of the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival.
“In terms of facilities here in Clark, Subic, [they’re] 100% [completed]. In Tagaytay, we’ll finish this week. In Rizal, they promised us that it will be done but we have a contingency plan just in case,” he said.
Gulp.
ito po saan ang allocation? at magkano ang budget? pic.twitter.com/fszuH2Q4Wr
— babybabybaby (@PAUlovesMOM) November 19, 2019
People, meanwhile, are already getting the vibe that hosting the games isn’t panning out as smoothly as it should. A photo of a cheap-looking A4-sized printout with the words “WELCOME SEA GAMES ATHLETES” at the airport went viral a few weeks ago, prompting some people to wonder where all the money being spent on the games is really going.
What’s more, a recent Rappler report said that the Philippines’ Office of the Government Corporate Counsel raised questions over a PHP11 billion (US$216.619 million) loan acquired by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority from the Malaysian firm MTD Capital Berhad to build New Clark City, the arena where some of the games will be hosted.
According to the report, the loan stipulates that MTD will get half of what the sports facility will earn for the next 25 years.
We wish Cayetano and company all the best in the SEA Games. For now, though, we’ll simply leave them with this inspirational GIF of the great Andy King, the man who tried to salvage the Fyre festival, as our way of expressing our support in this stressful time.
