EJ Obiena 'shocked' by PATAFA's 'shifting allegations': Clearly, I am not wanted

Filipino Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena said he was shocked with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association's (PATAFA) 'shift' in allegations.

In a statement on Tuesday, Obiena said PATAFA's allegations of failure to pay his Ukrainian coach Vitaliy Petrov turned to 'not paying on time' after appearing in a press conference last Sunday.

"I am personally shocked at the recent statement and shifting allegations of PATAFA. From their written letters of accusing me of embezzlement; to suddenly changing it to timing of payments?" he said. "After Vitally himself appeared live in the press conference on November 20, refuting these allegations, now they suddenly change the written accusations. Instead of admitting they were wrong, they now change the subject: Now the issue is, apparently, I perhaps did not pay Petrov 'on time.'"

"That's a long way from embezzlement and theft that they accused me of. I am not a lawyer, but as far as I know, paying late isn't a crime," he added.

Obiena cited his lack of knowledge on accounting and his tight training schedule, which is why he had some administrative problems.

"I have already admitted I am a pole vaulter---not an accountant. I have admitted I struggle with the huge amount of paperwork I am required to do to be a paymaster to my team. I am alone in Italy, I train 9 hours daily, and I have no help. No other athlete here in the Olympic Training Center carries my burden of administration," he said.

"Have I ever paid Vitaliy Petrov late? YES, I HAVE. I just sometimes cannot manage the workload and the training and get everything done to PATAFA's satisfaction."

Obiena said he has asked help from PATAFA multiple times about his challenges in doing administrative work so he could just focus on his training.

"They could help me by simply paying people directly---but they refuse this very simple solution for some reason; and now they accuse me of wrongdoing when I never wanted the job of paymaster to begin with! I do a job I am not supposed to be doing and then I am out on public trial for doing that very job? The real question is, why doesn't PATAFA do their job and pay the coaches directly, allowing me to focus on training rather than accounting? They put all the burden on me to perform all administration which I truly believe is not my job," he said.

"Do you want medals or do you want accountant-athletes? Make a choice. I always believed my job as an athlete is to compete at the highest level. I make mistakes when you ask me to play accountant. This is not a crime," he added.

Obiena also reiterated that he did not take any amount of money which was for his coach.

"What's now clear, and we all agree.---I never took a single centavo of money from my coach. Not even the fees for transfer or exchange rates were deducted to his salary. I paid those out of pocket," he said.

'Clearly, I am not wanted'

In the statement, Obiena also questioned what seems to be continuous attacks thrown at him by his sports organization.

"I am doing my best to win for my country and to bring honor to this great nation. Why are there attacks against me, without any due process, without even asking me a question, of this serious crime? If the intent is to clear the unpaid amount, is it not the easiest move to have everyone sit down and clarify this in a meeting with all parties involved? Why are you making a late payment or mixed-up paperwork into embezzlement?" he asked.

"Why would you destroy one of your top athletes? It makes no sense. Is PATAFA's mission to protect and serve its athletes, or to serve those in charge?"

Obiena also said he will clear his name and raise all legal challenges necessary. He also urged PATAFA to release the documents which were said to be the basis of the sports association's allegations.

"PATAFA has leaked every other document. Why have they not leaked the signed affidavit of Vitally Petrov? Perhaps because it doesn't exist? Now that is a crime. Falsifying the existence of a document. It's called fraud!" he said.

Obiena also said he is willing to "make peace" about the issue but his name must be cleared first, a situation the Olympian is not that optimistic about.

"It is clear I am not wanted by my Federation in any shape or form. I am attacked without any due process and now narrative and accusations have somehow changed. I am cut from funding and left figuring it out somehow here in Italy. I am destroyed mentally and reputationally. And the attacks keep coming. Clearly, I am not wanted."

"Just say the word, and I will formally retire from Philippines Athletics and being any part of PATAFA. Clearly they or he don't want me in the program based on their actions now and before. There can be no other objective to all these attacks. Let's just say it and we all move on."

PATAFA said they have formed an independent administrative committee to look into the incident. The Philippine Olympic Committee, meanwhile, ordered its ethics committee to investigate the matter.

The Philippine Senate on Monday recalled the Philippine Sports Commission's 2022 budget due to the issue.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News