LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The last tranch of the financial assistance to former world boxing champions from Thai philanthropist Naris Singwangcha has already arrived and the Games Amusement Board will now set when it will give it to the 11 boxer-beneficiaries.
Highland Boxing Promotions top honcho Brico Santig said that it is now up to the GAB to give the last tranch of the money Singwangcha promised to give on a monthly basis since 2018. That includes the eight months delay which has prompted one of the boxer-beneficiaries to go to media and called on Senator Manny Pacquiao to intervene.
Santig, who is now in Dubai for the fight of one of his wards, JR Natuplag, said that the Thai gave more than enough for at least 10 months or even more.
“It is already here and the GAB now is setting the date for distribution,” Santig told RNG Luzon through private message from Dubai right after disembarking from the plane for his ward’s June 5 fight.
Naris was supposed to send P330,000 to Santig as an intermediary, to the 11 boxers but sent more than that when he sent last week 270,000 baht or equivalent to P413,000.
“But that will be less once the charge from Western Union is deducted,” said Santig as Singwangcha said that the money will be divided equally among the 11 former boxing champions that include Luisito Espinosa.
Singwangcha decided to end the nearly three year deal with GAB in the provision of a PhP3,000 monthly stipend to 20 former world champions.
However, only 11 of the 20 intended beneficiaries that include Dodi Boy Penalosa were able to avail of the stipend to “help them out in their financial and medical expenses.”
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic that affected his business, Singwangcha failed to give the last eight months of monthly stipend that prompted former World Boxing Council world lightweight Rolando Jojo Pascua, now a part time construction worker, to accuse of GAB of irregularities in giving the monthly “pension”.
GAB denied the allegation and reiterated that it is not a pension, but a financial aid.
Singwangcha through Santig said that he will only give the last tranch once he gets a GAB resolution ending the memorandum he signed with the boxing body.
GAB sent Resolution No. 1 series of 2021 to Santig the other week, which he forwarded to the Thai.
Meanwhile, Singwangcha is supporting the second community pantry boxing promoters has organized for some 300 boxers, trainers and match makers set on June 26.
It will be the second community pantry organized with the Thai philanthropist since last year that benefited same from the three island groups including Benguet, who got theirs in August last year.
