Malacañang has expressed support for Filipino Olympian EJ Obiena amid the recommendation of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association’s (PATAFA) to have him expelled from the national team for alleged estafa for his failure to pay his coach.
“We continue to support all of our athletes, including our star pole vaulter EJ Obiena and we hope that whatever disagreements between EJ and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, hopefully they will all be threshed out,” acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said Wednesday.
Obiena has admitted to making late payments in the past to his coach, Vitaly Petrov, but said it was because he was preoccupied with his Olympic training.
He insisted that he did not misuse government funds intended for payment of his coach’s services.
Nograles said the Palace will await further development on the issue as the ball is now with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Commission on Audit (COA).
“Documents, we have been told, have already been sent to the Philippine Sports Commission and the Commission on Audit, so let us await further development in that regard or if they will issue a statement on that matter,” he added.
On Tuesday, the PATAFA investigation committee recommended that Obiena be expelled from the national team “effective immediately.”
Obiena’s backer and adviser James Lafferty will also be declared as persona non grata by the federation.
In its report, the PATAFA said Obiena “misappropriated the amount of EUR 61,026 (PHP3,661,608 more or less) which were released to him by
the PATAF/PSC as payment for coaching fee of Mr. Petrov but which were not paid as of August 2021.”
Obiena, for his part, said he will keep training to represent the Philippines in international competitions and is ready to face the charges slapped by the PATAFA.
“On my removal from the national pool, I am always willing to compete for the flag and the country I love with my entire being. On the recommendation of filing of estafa cases, I am ready to face all cases and charges filed against me in any court or forum,” he said in a statement.