“Para sa Bayan, LABAN!” shouted Col. Jeff Tamayo, cheering the National Dragon Boat Team on the Time Trial day at La Mesa Dam, that was on 11 October 2010. Fifteen days later, we were sitting at the POC board room meeting with POC President Monico Puentebella and 2 other POC Board members (I was not supposed to be at that secret meeting since we [the coaches] should be kept in the dark about it, kaya nga secret, but I was able to wriggle myself in there to hear for myself what BS excuse they are likely to say, but honestly, I was still hoping that they will reconsider our participation, stupid delusion that it is, I was still optimistic that time.) Until Mr. Puentebella said “Wag na kayong umasa, TAPOS NA YUNG LABAN”, yes, straight from the horse’s mouth, he was contradicting their own battlecry.
Dear Mr. Tamayo,
When I first met you, that was at the PSCM sports conditioning area (in short, sa PSCM gym), you were checking on the team since you were introduced to us, as the POC Monitoring Committee head. You delivered your scripted speech on working towards the gold in the Asian Games. Eh, kung alam ko lang na ang mga ngiti mo nun ay peke, at ang mga magaganda mong pananalita ay para bolahin lang ang mga atletang nagpapakahirap sa training- pardon my words – pero %&@# ka! We can’t say those words out loud and in person because we are still bearing the name of our Federation and the flag. Being in the National Team, we have to display proper decorum at all times, our bearing should exhibit respectability at all times, this is how we were taught. So, as I see you smiling at the 1st Friday mass last 03 December, I tried to contain myself not to confront you and slap you senseless until your foundation breaks (yes sir, I noticed the cheap Shin Tsan Tsu face foundation). And because I can’t do that, I left right after the mass as I can no longer stand the sight of you. In the sermon, the priest spoke of “words”, how we cannot retract what is already spoken, “actions” that we cannot redo what is already done. So kahit na madami akong gustong sabihin sayo – again, pardon my words - #$^*@!%*&^@#$!! I still did what was proper and left early to save myself from making a scene I might regret.
Para maintindihan ng marami why I have unfathomable anger in my heart towards you I have to narrate briefly how it all started. You stated in your official report the discrepancy could be one of two things, then you proceeded to imply that “Our paddlers were super men or women, or were on super steroids” and allegedly accusing our NSA officials submitting slow reference times. These are allegations that should be thoroughly investigated because it served as the sole basis for POC’s decision. Tapos magtataka ka bakit kami galit? Ikaw nga ang magtraining ng tatlong beses isang araw, dalawang oras kada session, anim na beses sa isang linggo! Ikaw kaya ang magpagod at magsuka sa pagod habang nilalanghap mo ang baho ng Manila bay! Ikaw ang magsagwan habang dumudugo ang bago mong kalyo sa kamay at sa pwet na akala mo ay wala ng lugar na tutubuan pa ng kalyo! Ikaw kaya ang magbuhat ng mga bakal sa gym na halos mangginig ka sa bigat pero gagawin mo para rin dahil kailangan para lumakas, at mag pull-ups habang bumubuhat ka ng 35lbs sa binti mo na halos mag-pop na ang mga mata mo sa bigat! Magsprint ng 800 at 400 meters sa Track oval na may minimum oras na kapag di mo magawa, tatakbo ka pa ng extra! Magswimming na may nakakapit sa paa mo, maghatak ng gulong (na may mga bato) sa likod ng bangka na pakiramdam mo mapapatid na lahat ng ligaments na kinakapitan ng glenohumeral joint mo! At higit sa lahat, habang naghihirap at nagpapakapagod ka sa training, naiisip mo pa ang malayo mong pamilya, ang iniwan mong anak, ang may alzheimer’s mong nanay para lang sa sakripisyo mo sa Bayan.
How can you tell the athletes that there is always the next time? How can anyone, our sports leaders indifferently ignore our sacrifices like it was of no consequence to them, to the country? Are we, the National Team, guilty of the allegations? Are we the ones who had done our country a great dishonour? Are we the ones who had lost our sense of fair play, integrity and sportsmanship? Nakuha mo pang mag-threaten ng mga atleta dun sa misa, at magsabi ng “laban pala ha!” - #$%@#$^ ka! Palitan mo na foundation at mukha mo masyado nang makapal!
