ALTHOUGH she has yet to see the color of money promised her, Nesthy Petecio is out to make sure she wouldn’t suffer the fate that befell Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, who gave the country a boxing silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
“Sisiguraduhin ko muna iyong mga ipinangako po (nila). Baka magaya po tayo kay Sir Onyok Velasco po,” Petecio said in jest yesterday in an online press conference via Zoom, a day after adding a silver medal to the country’s haul in the Tokyo Olympics.
“Kasi lahat po iyon para sa pamilya ko, nakalaan na po lahat iyon. Planado na po.
Sisiguraduhin ko kasi baka umiyak po kaming lahat,” she added.
Petecio lost by unanimous decision to Sena Irie of Japan last Tuesday in the women’s featherweight boxing finals at the nearly empty Kokugikan Arena.
Her silver was the second for the country after Hidilyn Diaz’s gold in the women’s 55 kgs of weightlifting last July 26.
The silver medal finish guaranteed Petecio, 29, a total of P17 million from the government and private sponsors: P5 million under Republic Act 10699 or the incentives law, P5 million each from the MVP Sports Foundation and San Miguel plus another P2 million from Deputy House Speaker and businessman Mikee Romero.
She has also been promised a house and lot worth P2.5 million in Candelaria, Quezon by property developer Ovialand.
Diaz, meanwhile, is set to receive nearly P50 million in incentives, plus other perks. She has already received the P10 million promised by the MVP group.
Velasco had long been telling everyone caring to listen that he had never received all incentives promised to him.
“Iyong kay Hidilyn, sana matupad lahat para hindi lang si Hidilyn, iyong iba pang gustong maging athletes na kabataan, mag-pursige rin na ganun pala kalaki iyong mga ibinibigay,” Velasco, who dabbled into a showbiz stint after his boxing career, said.
Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino assured that all the athletes who would win medals in Tokyo would receive their just rewards.
“Mahirap naman mag-pledge na hindi itutuloy, ano? Mahirap iyon lalo na sa social media unless mag-file sila ng bankruptcy siguro naman mayroon silang social corporate responsibility,” Tolentino said.“Hindi naman siguro (hindi ibibigay). Matatakot sila.”
The 5-foot-2 Petecio said she is looking to rest, for now, but will later train her sights in next year’s Southeast Asian Games and in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
“Gusto ko pong i-enjoy muna itong nakuha ko. Iyong SEA Games po lagi kong iniisip iyon next year po. Pahinga po muna. Kailangan din po ng rest ng katawan namin,” she said.
“Kung ano po sabihin ng coaches and bosses namin anytime naman po kapag sinabing balik sa training alam naman po nila na babalik kami. Iyong darating na SEA Games and Olympics po ulit sa Paris (looking forward to that).”
