Obiena, pinatatalsik na sa National Team

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | January 05, 2022

Tuluyan nang patatalsikin ng Philippine Athletics and Track and Field Association (PATAFA) sa kanilang national training pool sa lalong madaling panahon, habang maaaring sumailalim sa isang criminal complaint si 2020 Tokyo Olympian at Asian record holder pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena kasunod ng alegasyon ng maling paggamit ng pondong pambayad sa kanyang foreign coach.

Ipinaliwanag ng board members ng PATAFA ang rekomendasyon sa pagpapatalsik at pagsampa ng reklamo sa 26-anyos na 2019 SEAG gold medalist matapos mapag-alamanan sa isinagawang imbestigasyon ng ng PATAFA na kwestyunableng nawawala ang pambayad na 61,026.80 euros o P 3,661,608 para kay coach Vitaly Petrov ng Ukraine bilang coaching fee mula Mayo 2018 hanggang Agosto 2018, maging ang umano’y ‘falsification of liquidation documents.’

“Because of the documents which are authenticated and apostilled signed, we conducted an investigation created an administrative committee to investigate the said matter. The alleged non-payment of coaching fees of Mr. Vitaly Petrov and the falsification of liquidation reports of EJ Obiena,” wika ni PATAFA chairman Rufus Rodriguez kahapon ng umaga sa ginanap na press conference, kasama si PATAFA President Philip Ella Juico, mga Board members at national athletes at coaches.

Napag-alaman din sa imbestigasyon na ang ina nitong si dating PATAFA auditor Jeanette Obiena ay nagamit sa mali ng halagang P624,116.76 na aniya ay mula sa Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

“There we’re really falsified because by the time that he gave those liquidation reports, Vitaly Petrov was clearly stating that he only received it in 2020, so the 2019 liquidations are all fake,” paliwang ni Rodriguez. “He’s (Petrov) stating that the first payment was 2020, now how can there be acknowledgement receipts for 2019? From the very facts, there is already a falsification. Therefore those are the facts that we have so that EJ Obiena will have to answer in the courts for Estafa and falsification.”

Magsasampa rin ang PATAFA ng reklamo kay Petrov sa World Athletics bilang paglabag sa Integrity Code of Conduct. Idineklara rin ng local athletics association ang adviser ni Obiena na si Mr. James Michael Lafferty bilang persona-non grata.Ang report at imbestigasyon ay ipadadala ng PATAFA sa PSC at sa Commission on Audit.