Opposition Senator Chiz Escudero said on Tuesday he expects the Senate Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports to act soon on his resolution calling for an investigation into the turf war and rivalry between leaders of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) that has prejudiced preparations of athletes for the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos in December.

“With less than four months to go, we continue to read about ongoing intramurals in various sports associations and conflicting claims by the PSC and the POC on our chances, based on their respective reading of the situations and prospects, which is far from inspiring our athletes who are going to compete in Laos,” he said.

“Our sports officials could not work together unless they shed their loyalties to their respective factions and patrons. The reports reaching us are not encouraging, because political patronage seems to be disrupting even Philippine sports, which, in an ideal setup, should be free and fair,” Escudero added.

Escudero said “factionalism among various sports organizations has prejudiced the interest and welfare of Filipino athletes” and wants the Senate Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports to look into and address other possible sources of conflict through legislative means.

While the Senate, Escudero said, is supportive of the plans and programs of both the PSC and POC, only a unified national sports promotion and development program, without the continuing tension among sports organizations and their leaders which practically puts all Filipino athletes in limbo, would work.

Escudero said the infighting in sports practically puts all Filipino athletes in limbo, which negatively affects their practice and focus, whether they will be officially competing or not.

Escudero, a long-time advocate of giving the PSC chairman a fixed term, said he will take up the possibility of instituting amendments to Republic Act 6847, the law which created the PSC in 1990, to make it more responsive to the calls of the time.

Escudero also promised to look for ways to strengthen the financial standing of the PSC and how it could respond to the promotion of both elite and grassroots sports.