TWO days before the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) officially opens, Malacañang asked the organizing committee to 'rectify the errors' and 'perform better services.'In a statement, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Malacañang has been closely monitoring the country's hosting of the games and obsvered the errors committed by the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc).'While organizing multi-sport events has always been complex for host countries, with inevitable problems arising before and during the games due to the number of athletes, staff and sporting officials participating, the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) should perform better services expected of them,' Panelo said.'An array of criticisms has been made on how Phisgoc has handled the logistics of this momentous event, and these should be accepted and considered in order to rectify the errors it has committed. The critics have a point. There is indeed something wrong with the preparations,' he added.The Phisgoc, led by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, has been hounded by several controversies, ranging from accusations of overpriced materials, not being able to ferry football teams from other countries to their respective hotels, mixed-up press cards and inadequate breakfast for athletes, to unfinished sporting venues.Several critics, including Sen. Franklin Drilon, asked why Phisgoc was allowed to handle the organizing of the SEA Games alone, despite corruption issues that President Rodrigo Duterte himself mentioned in July.Malacañang said the President has expressed displeasure over the series of lapses in the country's hosting and wanted an investigation.On Thursday, Panelo said the Palace backed the plans of the Senate to conduct an inquiry, but a separate investigation would be launched as soon as the regional sports event was over.'The Palace notes that the Senate intends to conduct an inquiry on the issues which hounded the organization of the event. We welcome such initiative,' Panelo said.'The Office of the President will also be conducting a separate probe on the aberrations and irregularities in the administration of our country’s hosting of the SEA Games immediately after the games,' he added.The Palace official urged the public to 'let the games to continue without the attendant raucous bashing.''Our local athletes deserve our support. Let us welcome our foreign guests with the kind of warm hospitality we are known for,' Panelo said.He also urged media outfits 'to be more prudent in their reporting and avoid publishing information without verification, as allegations are remembered, not their clarifications or justifications.''We ask everyone to be more circumspect in reading articles that may contain false information or fake news. Let us not believe them outright. Many of them turn out to be untrue,' he added.Panelo announced that Duterte 'will give incentives and even medals in the Order of Lapu-Lapu to the winning athletes.''To all the athletes participating in the games, we wish them the best of luck as they display their wares and talents in the competition,' he said.
