The 30th Southeast Asian Games cauldron in New Clark City, Tarlac. (Photo courtesy of BCDA)
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson Butch Ramirez said he was surprised by the more than P50 million price tag for the production of the South East Asian (SEA) Games cauldron.
“Hindi namin alam na ganun kamahal yung cauldron..hindi lang naman cauldron marami pang iba eh so hindi rin namin alam na magiging isyu yan,” Ramirez said.
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee, said it’s a necessary expense.
President Rodrigo Duterte for his part said the cauldron was designed by the late National Artist for Architecture Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa before he died.
“There can never be corruption in that situation because you commissioned a national artist. It is the product of a mind. You cannot estimate how much nalugi ka because it is the rendition of the mind of the creator,” Duterte said.
But Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon is not satisfied with all these explanations.
“Lalo na dahil ito raw ay simbolo ng pagbukas ng SEA Games, pagbukas mo pa lang ng telebisyon, makikita mo na. Hindi naman pala kailangan na nandoon ka, kahit yung mga atleta hindi rin makikita yung pagsindi nitong kaldero na ito sa telebisyon nalang makikita. What symbols are we talking about? I maintain that this kaldero is a symbol of extravagance, more than anything else,” Drilon said.
Former President Noynoy Aquino also criticized the cauldron.
“Sangayon ako sa sinabi ni Senator Drilon. Puwede naman tayong maglagay ng ganyang simbolo sa games ng hindi ganun kamahal medyo madugo naman yung katumbas eh 50 na silid-paaralan…Prayoridad ata hindi itong games ng ilang lingo. Baka mas prayoridad yung ilang taon na pinagaral natin yung mga bata,” he said. (Jasper Camilo)