Questions for Dragon Boat team

BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…Jesus said, `If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’…” (The Lord Jesus Christ in John 8:31-32, the Holy Bible).
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QUESTIONS FOR THE DRAGON BOAT FEDERATION: I have some questions for the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation. I hope the officials and members of the team would be able to answer them, for the sake of truth and fairness in Philippine sports.

First, is it true that the events at the Tampa, Florida, US competition from where they received gold medals were actually for beginners only---and not for professional dragon boat teams which is the real classification of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation? If the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation is a professional team, why did it join the “beginners-only” competitions?

Second, is it true that the Tampa, Florida, US competition was not really a “worldwide” competition, in the sense that only about 22 participants competed in its games and where the world standard for any competition to be considered really “worldwide” is that, there should be about 200 or so participants?

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DRAGON BOAT TEAM DECEIVED POC? Third, is it true that the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, under its leader-coach Nestor Ilagan, was found to have deceived the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) in 2010 in its desire to qualify as the country’s representative in the Asian Games 1,000-meter dragon boat competition, by submitting a time standard which is two minutes slower than the Asian standard?

And, is it true that Ilagan has been claiming to be a coach, instead of being an official of the Federation, so that he could continue receiving salaries and other emoluments from the Philippine Sports Commission or PSC?

Fourth, is it true that this deception was investigated by the POC and that its findings showed that the there was indeed fraud in the time standard submitted by the Federation, considering that competitions for the 1,000-meter event could be won by fractions of seconds, not two minutes, as the Federation submitted to the POC?

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DRAGON BOAT’S AXE TO GRIND VS. POC: Fifth, is it true that the Federation and Ilagan did not inform the POC that they actually joined an Asian tournament early in 2010 where they finished a poor fourth place, a standing that would not qualify the team for the Asian Games in China, and that instead, what the Federation showed the team’s performance record in 2009 when they won two gold medals in the IDBF World Championships in Prague?

Is it also true that when the smoke of battle cleared in China, the performance of the national dragon boat team during the time trial in the 1,000-meter distance did not even beat the time of the sixth placer in Asian Games finals  and that the event was won by Indonesia, the same team that won in the Asian level tournament where Filipino paddlers placed fourth?

Finally, is it true that, because of these experiences of the Federation with the POC, it entertained an axe to grind against its current leadership? Again, I hope the Federation will be able to answer these questions.

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Mga tanong sa Dragon Boat team


INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “… Sinabi ni Jesus, `Kung mananatili kayo sa aking mga itinuro, kayo nga ay mga alagad ko. Dahil diyan, malalaman ninyo ang katotohanan, at ang katotohanan ang magpapalaya sa inyo’…” (Ang Panginoong Jesus sa Juan 8:31-32, Bibliya).
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MGA TANONG PARA SA DRAGON BOAT FEDERATION: May mga tanong po ako sa Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF). Umaasa akong masasagot ang mga ito ng mga opisyales at mga kasapi ng team, upang malantad ang katotohanan sa daigdig ng palakasan sa Pilipinas.

Una, totoo ba na ang mga sinalihang kompetisyon ng PDBF sa Tampa, Florida, USA, kung saan nakakuha sila ng mga gintong medalya ay para sa mga beginners o bagito pa lamang---at hindi para sa mga professional dragon boat teams na siyang tunay na katayuan ng PDBF? Kung ang PDBF ay isang grupo ng mga propesyunal, bakit sa laro ng mga bagito sila sumali?

Pangalawa, totoo ba na ang kompetisyon sa Tampa, Florida, USA, ay hindi pala isang “pandaigdigang” labanan o laro, sapagkat 22 lamang ang mga kasali doon samantalang dapat ay 200 humigit-kumulang ang kasali upang maituring na pandaigdigan ang isang kumpetisyon?

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DRAGON BOAT TEAM, DINAYA ANG POC? Pangatlo, totoo din ba na napatunayang dinaya ng Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, sa ilalim ng kanyang lider-coach na si Nestor Ilagan,  ang Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) noong 2010 upang mapayagan lamang itong sumali sa 1,000-meter dragon boat competition sa Asian Games, sa pamamagitan ng pagsusumite nito ng maling time standard?

At, totoo ba na ipinapalabas ni Ilagan na siya ay coach, at hindi opisyal ng PDBF, upang patuloy niyang matanggap ang sahod at iba pang mga benepisyo mula sa Philippine Sports Commission o PSC?

Pang-apat, tunay din ba na matapos imbestigahan ng POC ang sinasabing pandaraya ng PDBF, lumitaw na nagkaroon nga ng dayaan sa nasabing time standard na isinumite ng Federation, sapagkat ang 1,000-meter event na nais salihan nito ay mapapalunan na ang lamangan lamang sa oras ay segundo lamang, at hindi dalawang minuto, gaya ng sinabi ng PDBF.

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DRAGON BOAT, MAY GALIT VS. POC: Panglima, totoo ba na hindi ipinaalam ng PDBF at ni Ilagan sa POC na sila pala ay sumali sa isang torneo sa Asia noong 2010 kung saan dahil sa mahinang performance ay naging pang-apat lamang sila, at, batay sa katayuang ito, hindi talaga sila pupuwedeng makasali sa Asian Games sa China? At totoo ba na dahil sa pagnanais ng PDBF na makasali sa Asian Games, ang ipinakita nito ay ang kanyang record noong 2009 sa IDBF World Championships sa Prague?

At, totoo din ba na matapos ang labanan sa China, sobrang talo ang PDBF sapagkat sa time trial para sa 1,000-meter contest, ni hindi nito nakayanang talunin ang oras ng pang-anim na koponan sa Asian Games finals, na pinanalunan naman ng Indonesia? Sa Asian Games, totoo ba na naging pang-apat lamang ang Pilipinas?

Panghuli, totoo din ba, na dahil sa mga karanasang ito ng PDBF sa POC, sumama ang loob nito sa mga lider ng Philippine Olympic Committee? Sana, masagot nga ng PDBF ang mga tanong na ito.