WITH the Philippine Olympic Committee facing turmoil following the disqualification of Ricky Vargas from the presidential elections, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is waiting for the developments in the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
“We are anxiously waiting for what the Vargas camp is going to do next. Whether they will bring the issue to our court of law or file a protest in Lausanne. And if worse comes to worst, POC will be suspended (as NOC), then that’s when we come in,” PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez told Sun.Star Cebu.
Fernandez secured documents from the IOC website that listed the funds released by IOC to the member NOCs, including the POC. The data stated the IOC gave $16,000 to NOCs as logistical costs for sending athletes to the Rio Olympics, $10,000 each for the NOC president and secretary general for transportation, and $2,500 for each athlete who took part in the games.
“These are real figures...and the PSC gave POC funding, which until now they failed to liquidate. That is why we are also interested on what will happen to their election because somehow we can start the change from there. But now that they had played their cards, personally I want POC to be suspended by the IOC. We can still send our athletes to international competitions just like what happened to Kuwait,” Fernandez said.
“All other countries, except for the United States, their Olympic Committee is run by the government. That means they are accountable to the people. Our present situation is patterned with the USA where the Olympic Committee is ran by private groups. But for the meantime, if POC won’t get their acts together, PSC will give the funding directly to the athletes.”