Who is in charge?

It has been a week since we suffered another humiliating debacle at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

The final medal tally for the Games put the Philippines at number 22 among 37 participating countries. We garnered one gold, three silver, and 11 bronze medals. The lone gold was won by Fil-Am cyclist Daniel Patrick Caluag, training out of his home base in Kentucky in the United States.

If we measured ourselves against the other members of the Asean community, we fell behind Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Burma (Myanmar), and Vietnam. We did a bit better only against Cambodia and Laos.

Our worst defeat was in the sport that we love so much. Our greatest heartache stemmed from an inordinate love of a game not particularly suited for our people in terms of height advantage. Even in victory, we had to hang our heads in shame. The weird ending of the Gilas Pilipinas win over Kazakhstan was widely condemned and brought about calls for change in the method of selecting the national team coach.

After a fantastic performance at the Fiba World Cup in Spain, we ended up in seventh place, our worst showing in Asian Games basketball history. If there is one lesson to be learned from this experience, it is the need to refocus our energies and attention away from basketball.

But Philippine sports is not just about basketball. If we are to get out of the rut that we find ourselves in and come up with more respectable performances in the future, some measures have to be instituted. Let me offer a few thoughts for consideration.

First and foremost, we need new leadership at the top. We have to get rid of all the barnacles and leeches that have made Philippine sports their playground and their own private domain and, in some cases, their livelihood. Unless we change the characters who continue to call the shots, we shall never progress in our efforts to better the quality of our participation in regional and international sports competitions.

Make no mistake. We have a lot of good men around. We just have to get them more involved and provide them with support and encouragement. The highest official of the land, whoever he is, must be an active, hands-on leader with the kind of vision that brought out the old “Gintong Alay” program that took us to one of our best showings at the Southeast Asian Games.

Today Philippine sports appears to be rudderless.

Is anybody in charge?

Somehow, I am reminded of Nelson Mandela, and how he used sports to unify his people after his inauguration as president of South Africa.

In 1995, a year after Mandela assumed office, South Africa hosted the rugby World Cup. As the nation prepared for the competitions, the minister of sports told Mandela, “According to the experts, we will reach the quarterfinals and no further.” Mandela replied, “According to the experts, you and I should still be in jail.” Mandela called for the team captain, a white man, and encouraged him to reach out to the community for support. The team responded and South Africa went on to win the championship, defeating heavily-favored New Zealand in overtime.

We need this kind of leadership.

Second, we need to inject a sense of discipline among our athletes and in our sports programs. Only a strong leader with a no-nonsense attitude can achieve this objective. The Koreans have displayed this virtue time and time again. You may think them brusque and abrasive in manner, but they realize that excellence comes from discipline and determination.

There is no easy, quick-fix solution to the problem. The kind of discipline that will lead to better performances starts in our classrooms where children are provided with their first lessons in civic duties and responsibilities. It is here that they learn about love and pride of nation. And hopefully, it is with this foundation that the leader uses his skills to bring out the best in his people.

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Senior citizen woes continue.

One would think that with all the publicity that has been devoted to further the implementation of senior citizen rights and benefits, there would no longer be violations by business establishments of these basic prerogatives of the elderly.

That is not the case.

Only two weeks ago, retired PAL 747 pilot captain Rene Barrientos, with wife Celia and a few of their golfing friends, had lunch at Wagyu Japanese Beef, located at the Sunvar Complex, corner Amorsolo Street and Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City. When it was time to pay their bill, they were informed that the senior citizen discount privilege was not applicable since they were, strictly speaking, not a regular restaurant. If they were a wholesale outfit and not a restaurant, why would they be accepting dine-in customers for lunch? The place also refused to accept payment by credit card and demanded cash. Another whammy against the Senior Citizen Law!

The alleged owner of the business, a Japanese by the name of Hayano, should be investigated by the Makati Senior Citizen Office and the Bureau of Immigration to check on his status and the kind of business he is running.

Incidentally, Barrientos and I were classmates at the PAF Flying School before he was selected for jet qualification training in the United States. After a glamorous career as a commercial jet pilot, he now leads the quiet life of a gentleman-farmer who occasionally drives his wife around when there are errands to be performed.

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At a recent briefing on the Bangsamoro issue, I met five congressmen, all graduates of the Philippine Military Academy.

• Romeo Acop — Class 1970 (Antipolo district)

• Leopoldo Bataoil — Class 1976 (Pangasinan)

• Samuel Pagdilao — Class 1979 (party list)

• Garry Alejano — Class 1995 (party list)

• Ashley Acedillo — Class 1999 (party list)

They represent the latest batch of PMA alumni who have chosen politics as their new careers in public service.

Hopefully, they will be able to contribute their knowledge and expertise not just on security matters but also on other issues affecting the nation and requiring balanced interventions. Their views, coming from young, idealistic minds, will provide different and valuable insights during the deliberations of our lawmakers.