Guiao nears finish line in lonely fight of his life
The generous cheers that came after Yeng Guiao’s brief speech during a forum at STI Las Piñas on late Wednesday afternoon came as a surprise, since the Rain or Shine coach discussed something closer to politics than to sports.
Guiao gave a quick update on his uphill battle to get the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC)lawful share from the annual gross earnings of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
“If we succeed, not only can our national sports program get twice its share of that revenue, the PSC will also be able to get back pay from the years that it was denied its full share as provided by the law,” Guiao said.
That was when the cheers erupted inside the auditorium. The applause sounded less like appreciation and more like a show of camaraderie.
It was the kind of support Guiao wished he could have had in 2016, when he decided to file a suit so the PSC could get its full share of the Pagcor and PCSO revenues.
The PSC law states that the government’s sports funding arm is entitled to 5 percent of those gross earnings. But for the last three decades, the PSC received only half of those incomes, with 2.5 percent funneled to the President’s discretionary fund.
It wasn’t just an uphill battle for Guiao. It was also a lonely one.
“When I brought this up, I looked for people who would fight beside me,” Guiao told the Inquirer. “A lot of people begged off when I asked them to join me in this crusade.”
That may sound surprising, since politicians are often quick to hitch onto sports issues. But it wasn’t inexplicable: Filing the lawsuit meant taking funds away from the Office of the President.
It was a lonely fight on a different level, too.
No self-benefit
Guiao does not stand to benefit from winning his lawsuit. He cannot direct how the money, which could feature back pay amounting to tens of billions of pesos, is disbursed (an Inquirer source noted that back pay alone could reach P30 billion “and that’s a conservative estimate.”) He is not a PSC official or a member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and has no desire to be one.
At a time when rampant corruption greased by gluttonous insertions hog headlines, a win by Guiao would put billions of gaming revenue into accountable use—something being parked in a discretionary cash box cannot do.
“Whatever the PSC does with the money, it will be accounted for; people will see what the money was used for,” the former Pampanga vice governor and representative said.
But he could not do it alone. And deserted by potential partners, the mercurial coach found help in lawyer Jun Guzman.
“This would have never gotten off the ground without him,” Guiao said. “He stepped up and provided his service for eight years. Eight years. That’s eight years’ worth of filings, paperwork, motions, arguments and court appearances. And he did everything for free.”
Now, Guiao is close to the finish line.
Pagcor’s uphill climb
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Guiao. Pagcor filed a motion for reconsideration, and this time, the gaming industry regulator is the one staring uphill. To win that motion, Pagcor would have to flip a 15-0 vote that favored Guiao. That means eight justices would need to change their mind.
And here’s where the fight gets lonelier.
If the Supreme Court rules with finality in favor of Guiao and Guzman, Philippine sports will rejoice. The PSC, the POC and the national program will celebrate finally getting the necessary funds to pursue international glory.
Guiao, along with Guzman, will be standing in the outer fringes of that celebration. And having little to no hand in the national program, his part in the win is susceptible to memory decay.
But on a Wednesday afternoon in a forum at a South-situated school, Guiao at least got the cheers he so richly deserves.
