Philippine chief of mission Mario Tanchangco on Tuesday predicted a battle among Thailand, Vietnam and the RP team for the overall championship in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos next week.

Tanchangco said the Filipinos are capable of surpassing the 42 gold medals won in the previous biennial meet in Thailand with the presence of the reigning silver medalists in the national squad.

“Mahirap mag-predict kung ilang gold medals ang maiuuwi natin. Pero yung bulk ng team natin puro mga silver medalists dati na may chance na mag-gold ngayon,” Tanchangco said in Tuesday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Avenue.

Tanchangco said that Thailand has long been considered the favorite to top the medal tally while Vietnam has vastly improved since hosting the meet in 2003.

The Philippines, which also snared 91 silvermedals and 96 bronzes, placed a poor sixth in 2007 behind then host Thailand, which finished far ahead with 182 golds, 123 silvers, and 101 bronzes.

Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore placed second to fifth in that order.

“Iba kasi ang situation natin nung 2007. Kasi we were (the) defending champions that time; nakatutok sila sa atin. Ngayon, iba na. Wala na sigurong pressure,” Tanchangco said.

Tanchangco bared that the 386-man RP delegation will leave aboard two chartered flights from Manila to Laos on December 6.

Boxer Annie Albania will also serve as the country’s flag-bearer in the biennial meet, owing to her gold-medal feat in the third Asian Indoor Games in Hanoi, Vietnam last October. She is also the SEAG defending champion in the bantamweight division.