Resolve 'missing' clay targets issue soon –Singson
Published May 11, 2023 10:40 am
Led by former Philippine National Shooting Association president Luis “Chavit” Singson, concerned shotgun shooters have sent a legal demand letter to the PNSA Moving Target Aggrupation Committee members on the P1.93 million worth of clay targets the association bought on their behalf that has reportedly been “missing.”
*Former PNSA president Luis “Chavit” Singson (third from left) with former national shotgun shooters Raul Arambulo (second from left) and Eduardo Fernandez (right). With them is resigned national shotgun coach Fernando Mercado.*
Named in the demand letter composed by the Divina Law Firm led by Atty. Nilo Divina, Dean UST Faculty of Law, and sent last May 4, were PNSA MTA Committee and board members Veneranda “Iryne” Garcia, PNSA secretary general, MTA committee chairman Adel Samson and Jerry Sun. Besides Singson, now the PNSA chairman emeritus and considered the godfather of local shooting, demanding the accounting were former national shotgun shooters and PNSA members Eduardo Fernandez and Raul Arambulo. They also demanded the MTA Committee to present the MTA passbook placed under the name of Garcia where P343,231.21 was deposited for the use in purchasing the equipment of the shotgun shooters. The MTA Committee was given five days to reply upon receipt of the letter over the “missing” clays as well as the presentation of the MTA passbook, Arambulo said, or else face possible legal and other consequences. Fernandez and Arambulo earlier wrote Sunday last January to clarify what happened to the two 20-foot containers vans containing the LaPorte clay targets that were stored at the Philippine Sports Commission shooting range inside the Bureau of Corrections property in Muntinlupa. The letter was coursed to PNSA president Isabela Rep. Emmanuel Mike Dy III, House Youth and Sports Committee chairman, said Arambulo, disclosing the container vans with the targets were no longer there during his personal visit last December 2022. “We followed up the letter last March, but we likewise failed to gain a reply from the committee,” he said. The PNSA purchased these clay targets through the PSC on behalf of the shotgun shooters, who, including Singson, pooled their resources to save on import duties since they would be used for the benefit and development of the sport, according to Arambulo. “However our clients, together with other longstanding members of the MTA, recently discovered that the bulk of the clay targets, which previously consisted of two (2) two-foot containers, disappeared at the PSC Shotgun Range inside the Bureau of Corrections,” the letter pointed out. “Further, a sum P343,321.21 was turned over to Ms. Venaranda ‘Iryne’ Garcia in 2019. This, together with an undetermined amount representing the tournament fees paid for by various members and the proceeds of clay target sales during practices, are funds contributed by the members in trust and confidence,” the letter pointed out. A copy of the Metrobank check issued to Garcia in the said amount was presented as a piece of evidence in the demand letter. “These are supposed to be reflected in the MTA bank account opened in Ms. Irene’s name, and another MTA director as co-signatory. The passbook of the said account, to the best of our clients’ knowledge, is in the custody of Ms. Garcia,” the letter said. Arambulo, who, together with Fernandez, was called by Singson for consultation before the demand letter was sent, said that the former Ilocos Sur governor was “disappointed by the seeming abuse of authority of some PNSA officials for an insignificant financial gain. “Gov. Chavit wants the truth to come out about the two containers that disappeared at a highly secured facility such as the PSC shotgun range within the property of the Bureau of Corrections.” “He (Singson) wants the PNSA and the PSC to investigate these assets since the government sports agency is involved and was paid for by the shotgun shooters themselves. Gov. Chavit was the biggest contributor of this fund,” Arambulo stressed. “Singson has been the biggest benefactor of the PNSA over the past decades and wants only to stamp out any hint of corruption in shooting sports once and for all so others can confidently support our athletes,” he said. “We believe PNSA president Mike Dy should act since no less than his predecessor, Gov. Chavit, has raised concern over the issue and once it resolved as soon as possible.”
*Former PNSA president Luis “Chavit” Singson (third from left) with former national shotgun shooters Raul Arambulo (second from left) and Eduardo Fernandez (right). With them is resigned national shotgun coach Fernando Mercado.*
Named in the demand letter composed by the Divina Law Firm led by Atty. Nilo Divina, Dean UST Faculty of Law, and sent last May 4, were PNSA MTA Committee and board members Veneranda “Iryne” Garcia, PNSA secretary general, MTA committee chairman Adel Samson and Jerry Sun. Besides Singson, now the PNSA chairman emeritus and considered the godfather of local shooting, demanding the accounting were former national shotgun shooters and PNSA members Eduardo Fernandez and Raul Arambulo. They also demanded the MTA Committee to present the MTA passbook placed under the name of Garcia where P343,231.21 was deposited for the use in purchasing the equipment of the shotgun shooters. The MTA Committee was given five days to reply upon receipt of the letter over the “missing” clays as well as the presentation of the MTA passbook, Arambulo said, or else face possible legal and other consequences. Fernandez and Arambulo earlier wrote Sunday last January to clarify what happened to the two 20-foot containers vans containing the LaPorte clay targets that were stored at the Philippine Sports Commission shooting range inside the Bureau of Corrections property in Muntinlupa. The letter was coursed to PNSA president Isabela Rep. Emmanuel Mike Dy III, House Youth and Sports Committee chairman, said Arambulo, disclosing the container vans with the targets were no longer there during his personal visit last December 2022. “We followed up the letter last March, but we likewise failed to gain a reply from the committee,” he said. The PNSA purchased these clay targets through the PSC on behalf of the shotgun shooters, who, including Singson, pooled their resources to save on import duties since they would be used for the benefit and development of the sport, according to Arambulo. “However our clients, together with other longstanding members of the MTA, recently discovered that the bulk of the clay targets, which previously consisted of two (2) two-foot containers, disappeared at the PSC Shotgun Range inside the Bureau of Corrections,” the letter pointed out. “Further, a sum P343,321.21 was turned over to Ms. Venaranda ‘Iryne’ Garcia in 2019. This, together with an undetermined amount representing the tournament fees paid for by various members and the proceeds of clay target sales during practices, are funds contributed by the members in trust and confidence,” the letter pointed out. A copy of the Metrobank check issued to Garcia in the said amount was presented as a piece of evidence in the demand letter. “These are supposed to be reflected in the MTA bank account opened in Ms. Irene’s name, and another MTA director as co-signatory. The passbook of the said account, to the best of our clients’ knowledge, is in the custody of Ms. Garcia,” the letter said. Arambulo, who, together with Fernandez, was called by Singson for consultation before the demand letter was sent, said that the former Ilocos Sur governor was “disappointed by the seeming abuse of authority of some PNSA officials for an insignificant financial gain. “Gov. Chavit wants the truth to come out about the two containers that disappeared at a highly secured facility such as the PSC shotgun range within the property of the Bureau of Corrections.” “He (Singson) wants the PNSA and the PSC to investigate these assets since the government sports agency is involved and was paid for by the shotgun shooters themselves. Gov. Chavit was the biggest contributor of this fund,” Arambulo stressed. “Singson has been the biggest benefactor of the PNSA over the past decades and wants only to stamp out any hint of corruption in shooting sports once and for all so others can confidently support our athletes,” he said. “We believe PNSA president Mike Dy should act since no less than his predecessor, Gov. Chavit, has raised concern over the issue and once it resolved as soon as possible.”