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Hello friends!

I am BACK! This week we have a few dominating stories, so let’s look at them individually rather than doing a massive regular wrap. 

Today’s look at the Southeast Asia Games mess in the Philippines has been opened to all subscribers on account of its importance to the region and my deep desire to see this eventually become a Netflix documentary. But later this week we’ll look at Malaysia’s leadership strife and Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit/Thailand update for premium subscribers.

If you’d like to join us there sign up for $6 a month or $60 for the year here:

Asean + Timor-Leste nationals under 30 can receive a free premium subscription, just hit that reply and let me know!

Just a quick note about the tone here. I am very alarmed and bemused by what’s happening in the Philippines, but I want to make it explicitly clear that it is not the fault of Pinoys, but government organisations. DU30 Twitter, don’t come for me! 

See you later in the week!Erin Cook

(Photo c/o SEA Games media gallery)

I don’t know how to start this because I’m so amazed at what’s happening here. 

The 2019 Southeast Asia Games is set to begin Saturday in the Philippines. It is a mess. While it’s the third time the archipelago has hosted the games and 2017’s Malaysia tilt went by just fine, the wheels have not just fallen off but exploded. 

Expect this to develop into a regional story very, very shortly. 

Let’s start with the complaints.

While the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) is, uh, not doing its best work the Philippine media is. This one from ABS-CBN brings together complaints made so far from participating countries, including the Thai football team training in the street, Indonesian athletes abandoned at the airport (rude anywhere, but Ninoy arrivals for three hours!) and Cambodians left to sleep on the floor while waiting for hotels. Filipino teams have also complained, which is no doubt salt in the wound. 

Things aren’t much better when teams arrive at their hotels.

Singapore, who in moments like this becomes Asean’s ‘can I speak to the manager?,’ is taking the lead on pushing for better services for athletes. "We request for your urgent and immediate attention to these matters. While we try our best to be patient and understanding, we cannot make any compromise when our athletes are affected directly," chef de mission Juliana Seow told the Straits Times. 

In comments published by the Straits Times this morning, Seow was a touch more optimistic. "We appreciate the efforts and hospitality of the Philippine organisers and volunteers in taking care of us and doing their best as hosts, and look forward to an exciting 2019 SEA Games,” she said.

Still, even basic issues like providing halal food at the hotels are faltering. The Singaporean football side, which is majority Muslim, complained that their hotel (which is also housing Malaysian and Bruneian sides!) did not have enough halal food to go around and what they had amounted to a cold serving of rice and pita bread. I’m starting to understand why Indonesians always travel with Indomie. The Thailand Football Association made similar complaints on social media. 

And once everyone is on the pitch — ooh boy!

The first football match of the games — Malaysia and Myanmar, 1-all — went on without a scoreboard at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, leaving the crowd to look to officials to keep up. Post-match media interviews were cancelled over venue concerns, but CNN Philippines reports the media area has since been cleared. Air conditioning units, carpeting and electrical work still need to be completed though. The cubicle walls for the toilets are still otw but. 

Asean is bemused, Pinoys are PISSED

It’s really unfair on regular degular Filipinos. The SEA Games is such a fun event and really important to building a country’s reputation up among the region and Filipinos themselves have been keen to get involved. I’ve spotted at least one report so far of a volunteer being treated like garbage by organisers for no other reason other than the sloppiness of the operation. 

Still. The Department of Tourism has stepped in to take control of the hotels and billeting processes after PHISGOC blamed the woes on a whole lot of things other than itself. 

It’s the cauldron that’s really igniting (hehe) fury. The cauldron to be lit somehow by Manny Pacquiao from afar on Saturday cost a staggering US$1 million. The high cost has disturbed many and raised potential graft questions. 

Don’t blame me, says PHISGOC chair/Speaker of the House Alan Peter Cayetano. He’s pointing a finger at Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon who he says sunk the event by delaying the budget. In a normal world, I would expect to see Cayetano’s head roll within days. But, he is a very close Duterte ally and I just don’t know what will happen next although Malacañang has said he is “responsible” so may be happy to leave him out to dry. 

Senator Bong Go wants to launch a Senate investigation once it’s done and dusted. Certainly necessary, particularly with the accusations of possible graft. But for some likely 2022 contenders, sure seems like a good way to bury a potential rival, no? 

VICE Asia has brought together a bunch of the funnier Tweets and genuine complaints. I’ll be keeping a VICE and Coconuts Manila tab open for the next few days. It’s already being compared to Fyre Festival, but will we get our ‘take one for the team’ moment?