DESPITE being embroiled in a controversy with the Philippine Athletic Track and Field Association, pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena last Monday night said he has no plans of abandoning his Filipino citizenship and switching nationalities.
“Even now, in this current crisis, I have no desire to change nations (sic),” the Tondo-born Obiena, 26, said in a post on his official Facebook account.
“I see these statements on social media and active encouragement to switch allegiances.
But this is not who I am and why I do this. I want to win for (the) Philippines and show the world what we can do. I want to win for us,” the Tokyo Olympic Games veteran said.
“I am proud to compete for the flag of the Philippines. I get chills every time I hear our anthem played and to watch that flag rise high,” added Obiena, who confirmed there were some countries that had offered him citizenship as his stature rose in his pet event.
“My dear friend and mentor James Michael Lafferty spoke with Gretchen Ho…and confirmed I have several offers from other nations to compete under their flag. This is a fact,” he said.
“It is also true that I have been approached several years ago already by other nations, floating lucrative pay packages to compete for their flag.
“I will never abandon my nation because of money. That is not loyalty. At least not how I define it. My goal is focused on winning gold medals for my nation, my country, my flag — the Philippines,” Obiena said. “I love my country. I am proud to compete for the flag of the Philippines.”
He, however, added he would keep his options open if his dispute with Patafa over the alleged non-payment and delay of the wages of his Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov is not resolved.
“I know I may at some point be forced to make choices I don’t want to make,” Obiena said.
There were fears expressed by some quarters that Obiena would switch citizenship like some other outstanding Filipino athletes for various reasons, the latest being Bulacan-born Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso, the reigning US Women’s Open champion.
A double gold medalist in the 2018 Asian Games, Saso announced last month that she has opted for Japanese citizenship before she turns 22.
Obiena repeated his pronouncement of not being able to “accept to be accused of false allegations and my reputation smeared” by Patafa, although the local track body made no such claim.
During a casual chat between Patafa President Philip Ella Juico and World Athletics Vice President Sergey Bubka, a former world and Olympic champion and Petrov protégé, it emerged the Ukrainian coach allegedly was not paid his salaries until September since 2018.
The money came from the subsidy of the PSC coursed through the Patafa and sent directly to Obiena for the purpose.
Bubka issued an affidavit issued last Oct. 21 asserting his claims were true.
Since PSC funds are involved, the government sports agency has given Patafa and Obiena until Dec. 15 to submit to PSC mediation, with Chairman Butch Ramirez warning that failure to do so would be “detrimental to both parties.”
The Philippine Olympic Committee Ethics Committee led by Chairman Pato Gregorio is also conducting its separate investigation on the controversy.
