Malacanang has been forced to say sorry for the inconvenience suffered by athlete-guests from Timor-Leste, Myanmar and Cambodia at the hands of the incompetent Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC).
“The Office of the President will not offer any excuses. As host country, we apologize for the unintentional inconvenience suffered by our athlete-guests,” said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a statement.
The embarrassing situation came just days after Cayetano declared that PHISGOC was ready for the hosting of the 30th SEA Games that would start on November 30.
Panelo noted that PHISGOC has already apologized for its ineptitude even though the private foundation’s apology statement was faceless and nameless and even blamed the athletes themselves for the snafu. Panelo appealed to the public that there was no use criticizing PHISGOC for its incompetence noting that “incidents of delays in transport and checking-in at hotels happen in international sports and games by reason of the number of countries and athletes involved.” At least, Panelo said there was no report of any danger to the athletes safety and health.
“We can no longer undo what has been done,” said Panelo.
“We are not promising that the Games will run without a hitch, given the countless athletes who will participate and represent their respective countries, but we will exercise due diligence in making sure everyone will have a pleasant, productive and memorable stay in the Philippines,” Panelo added.
