Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go reiterated his commitment to support moves to uplift the welfare of professional boxers and combat sports and the Filipino athletes in general.
“I express my full support for the objectives of Senate Bill No. 193 and Senate Bill No. 805. These bills not only aim to strengthen and develop the quality of professional boxing and combat sports in the country, but also ensure the protection and welfare of its athletes,” said Go during the public hearing for the creation of the Philippine Boxing Commission on Wednesday.
Go, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, conducted jointly with the Committee of Health and Demography and Committee on Finance, the two bills penned by Senator Manny Pacquiao.
“The achievement of the objectives under the proposed Senate Bills can be a step in the right direction. This will not only provide a big boost to Philippine boxing and other combat sports; it will also secure the country’s rightful place as a serious contender in the sporting world,” Go said.
But during the hearing, the Games and Amusement Board, headed by Chairman Abraham ‘Baham’ Mitra reiterated that the Boxing Commission is a mere duplication of GAB’s responsibility.
Mitra claimed that GAB already regulates and supervises all professional sports and allied activities in the country.
“While we laud the initiative, feeling namin nagagawa na namin ang mga gustong gawin at ang mga gusto pang ipagawa sa amin, maaari naman naming gawin basta maalalayan lang po kami nang konti,” said Mitra.
Members of the Association of Philippine Professional Boxing Ring Officials and boxing matchmakers and promoters also claimed “we are fine with the leadership of Mitra”.
Likewise, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) represented by Ma. Elsa Rivera said that “the creation of the proposed commission is deemed not necessary since its proposed functions, programs, projects and activities are already inherent or currently being undertaken by the different offices or units” of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and GAB.
Pacquiao clarified that he is “not questioning the capability of GAB” and he understands the agency’s position, but as a boxer for more than 25 years, he “can say that it’s necessary to establish a commission to handle and focus on the sport.”
“Napakahirap talaga. Muntik na akong madisgrasya bago ko narating ito ngayon. Maraming mga kailangang gawin at hakbang para sa ating mga atleta, especially ‘yung mga SSS, PhilHealth, medical requirements before the fight or regularly,” Pacquiao said.
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and representatives from the Governance Commission for GOCCs and Lakay Mixed Martial Arts Top Team also participated in the hearing.
When the team’s Chairman, Mark Sangiao, aired the difficulties that combat athletes face, Go asked him to submit a formal letter so that the Senator can find ways to address the problems.
Since creating the Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports Commission will affect the functions of GAB, Go asked the DBM if there were instances “in the bureaucracy where we separated one of the functions of a government agency and created a new one.”
Rivera said that the government has addressed the issues of redundant functions of government offices through Executive Order No. 366, signed in 2004. “We already did that during the Rationalization Plan. Those agencies with similar functions, it’s either we merged them or we placed them in a single agency so that there will be no duplications of functions,” she said.
She cited as an example the establishment of the Philippine Statistics Authority, which absorbed the National Statistics Office, National Statistical Coordination Board and statistics-related functions of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Go also asked Mitra, “Since you believe that you can safely regulate professional boxing and combat sports, in what way can GAB be assisted to ensure that these sectors are fully managed and the boxers and combatants are well taken care of, as they would hopefully be, under the proposed Senate bills?”
The GAB Chairman said that the agency needs additional funding and the DBM has been informed of the matter.
