CATBALOGAN, Samar –
After capturing the championship in the elementary baseball
competition during the “Palarong Pambansa” held in Naga City last
month, the Eastern Visayas region’s delegation composed of players
from this town is now being investigated allegedly by the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
In a report that
reached this writer, a certain Edgardo Baldemos who identified himself
as an NBI Agent from Tacloban City, and accompanied by one Atty.
Mendoza from the NBI Samar Office, went to Catbalogan II Central
Elementary School (CIICES) here asking for various records of the
pupils who composed the EV team who beat the National Capital Region
in the national finals of the “little league” division in last month’s
national sporting event.
The Little league
Baseball Team coach Orlando B. Abuyen, in June 9 airing of CCATMAN
Weekly Kapehan television, disclosed that the NBI agents went to see
him posing questions regarding the children’s records.
Accordingly, the NBI
Agents also went to Samar National School (SNS) and took out records
of the other siblings of some of the players that represented Eastern
Visayas (EV) in the Palarong Pambansa.
“They told us that
there is big discrepancy on the age gaps of the playing children of
our team to that of their respective siblings, hinting that we might
have faked the age requirements of our players”, Coach Abuyen
stressed.
However, CIICES
Principal Mrs. Sofie L. Rutor clarified that their baseball team’s
records, particularly the age aspect are all undoubtedly straight and
authentic.
Mrs. Rutor voluntarily
provided the NBI with photo copies of the children’s school records,
which were later revalidated with the local civil registrar’s office
here.
“Waray man hira
makikit-an nga diperensiya kay an tinu-od man la nga requirement ha
edad hiton kabataan an am gin-susunod.”, the principal said, adding
that the alleged age gap between one of the players and his brother at
the SNS is obviously significant because having different mothers.
Coach Abuyen likewise
informed that the NBI agents asked for the presence of the children
and started interviewing them, “this despite of the fact that the
national screening committee of the Palarong Pambansa already reviewed
the veracity of our team’s membership”, Abuyen stressed.
Media Hype
“There was no formal
protest actually filed by the NCR against EV region’s little league
team”, this was disclosed by Coach Abuyen.
But accordingly,
because of the alleged media hype instigated by the parents of the
children of the NCR team, the national screening committee “por
delicadeza” conducted a review on the papers and records of the EV
baseball players, but still ruled out that the records are all in
order, said Coach Abuyen.
“Waray man hira mag-file
hin protest, pero nakadto lugod hira ha media pag-yinakan nga kesyo
mga lagas na kuno an mga players han EV”, he stressed.
What Actually
Transpired?
In details, Coach
Abuyen informed the media that during the start of the game, the EV
Team composed of Catbaloganon pupils have beaten all of its opponents
in the preliminary games.
Accordingly, during
the placing game that will determine the Champion and the runner ups,
NCR play against Calabarzon, while EV tackles Cotabato region.
As a result, NCR ruled
over Calabarzon and EV won over Cotabato region, and both of the
winning team faced each other resulting to a loss for the NCR team,
while in the Calabarzon and Cotabato match, Cotabato ruled the game.
“In that case our team
is already on the waiting place for the finals for having beaten all
of the teams with no single loss from the start, and due that we have
the privilege of the ‘twice to beat’ ruling from whoever will come up
again from below”, Coach Abuyen explained.
Accordingly, the game
format will push NCR - after losing to EV - to face Cotabato region
and if will emerge as the victor, it should beat the EV team twice so
to become the game champion.
Typhoon Caloy
The last remaining
games however did pot push through because of Typhoon Caloy.
Coach Abuyen informed
that the Peace Keeping Committee already know the possibility that the
national games will be affected by the upcoming typhoon at that time,
“thus they have contingency plans regarding the rules”, Abuyen told.
“The fact that the EV
team climbed up to the top with no single loss, it could have been
declared as the champion, but NCR protested that the games are not yet
over, and told the committee that if the games will no longer push
through, then the three teams – NCR, Cotabato and EV – should be
declared as the champions”, Coach Abuyen explained.
The EV delegation
however retorted saying that NCR cannot claim for a shared
championship with the EV team because they have been beaten by the EV
players during the semi-final round.
However, to resolve
the issue brought by Typhoon Caloy, the Palarong Pambansa secretariat
ruled out that shared championship be awarded to the said three teams,
but emphasizing that the First Champion is the EV team, represented by
the players from Catbalogan, Samar.
“And until now, maybe
the parents of the NCR team members cannot accept the fact they were
beaten by ‘promdi” players from Samar, kay huna-hunaa nala nga may-ada
usa nga kag-anak didto nga nagyakan nga nasering, kay-ano kuno nga
mapeperdi hira samantalang baseball daw is there game”, Coach Abuyen
concluded.
Last year the
Catbalogan team, who likewise represented the EV region in the said
annual sporting event landed third in the championship.
