Wednesday, November 30, 2005

NR1201:On Thaksin's charges that SEAG rigged

From the Office of Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
News Release December 1, 2005

RP govt should demand an apology from Thai Premier for Pinoy athletes; GMA reputation as electoral cheat must have influenced Thaksin's comment on supposed SEAG rigging

Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran today expressed outrage over the insulting allegation Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra made against Philippine athletes. Shinawatra has alleged that the Philippines has rigged the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in favor of its own athletes.

Beltran said that even as the Macapagal-Arroyo admnistration says that it will conduct investigations into the allegations, the government should still demand a public apology from Thaksin, given that the latter's statements are damaging and malicious.

"His allegation is a serious insult against our athletes who have trained very hard for the SEAG. The victories they have been getting are well-deserved.They overcame so many obstacles just to be able to compete, regardless of the sorry lack of govenrment support for competitive sports. On the other hand, it's not farfetched that that Thailand and the other SEA nations feel justified in making such insulting, loose comments about the credibility of our judging system even in the sports area because the Philippines' own highest official is thoroughly lacking in credibility and legitimacy," he said.

"It's tragic and infuriating at the same time that because of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her illegitimate leadership, other sectors of our society are being suspected of being composed of cheaters and underhanded players," he said.

"Thaksin is most likely also making allusions to the fact that if the president of the Philippines was elected only through massive electoral fraud and poll manipulation, it's not farfetched that even our athletes are also cheaters," he fumed.

"It's not a secret in the SEA community that there's a serious ongoing political crisis in the Philippines and it involves the president. Thaksin, reputed to be a shrewed and even relentless leader with strong tendencies towards fascism, is being malicious and using this as basis for his allegations against our athletes."
The veteran labor leader turned legislator also said that it was also possible that the involvement of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo also has a negative impact on the games' reputation and credibility. He said that Arroyo's image as a supposed jueteng lord and his supposed involvement in various corrupt schemes on behalf of the his wife's administration must also bring a pall over the games.

"Next thing we know, other SEA leaders would be implying that the Philippines has established a giant gambling ring connected to the outcome of the SEAG and that the RP goverment is laying down multi-million bets on its own athletes and thus the game rigging,' he concluded.#

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