PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) spokesman and National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Prospero Pichay Jr. said the POC election for president and chairman will push through on Friday, February 23.
This, after the POC held a closed-door meeting at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club West Side Grill in Mandaluyong on Monday that lasted for four hours.
Thirty-eight national sports associations (NSAs) sent representatives during the POC meeting where Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, the Philippines’ representative to the International Olympic Committee, and Rio Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, POC Athletes Commission representative, were also present.
“The assembly agreed that we will have an election, not because we are following (court) orders, but based on what we agreed upon today and that of the POC constitution and by-laws,” said Pichay, a lawmaker from Surigao del Sur.
The terms and conditions may not promise well for Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap) president Ricky Vargas, and Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines president and Cavite Seventh District Representative Abraham Tolentino after both were required to file certificates of candidacy, which will be screened by a new POC election committee.
“It will be up to the POC election committee to determine the qualifications of the candidates, including those of Vargas and Tolentino,” Pichay added.
It was recalled that Vargas and Tolentino were disqualified from running as president and chairman in 2016 polls after the election committee led by former International Olympic Committee representative Frank Elizalde ruled that both were not “active members” for not attending enough general assembly meetings.
Vargas believed that they should be allowed to run or the POC be cited in indirect contempt of court.
He further warned the POC leadership that there is a strong clamor for change among the NSAs thus the call for a new election. He is confident he had the required votes to defeat current POC president Peping Cojuangco, who ran unopposed and was re-elected to his fourth straight term two years ago.
Chaotic scene at Wack Wack
Just before the POC meeting commenced, representatives from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) arrived at the assembly room supposedly to observe the proceedings. Among the PSC officials who came in were Commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Charles Maxey, Arnold Agustin, Celia Kiram and Executive Director Sannah Frivaldo.
The group was not allowed to take part as observers since they are also interested parties and in which lawyer Frivaldo questioned POC secretary general Steve Hontiveros.
Frivaldo cited the February 9 letter by International Olympic Committee deputy director general Pere Miro to POC, permitting “all interested parties” to attend the meeting.
Pichay explained to Commissioner Fernandez that the presence of PSC could be interpreted as government intervention.
“We were only trying to protect the integrity and autonomy of the POC based on our constitution and by-laws as well as Republic Act 6847 (the law creating the PSC),” he added.
Also barred from entering the board room were Monico Puentevella, president of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (formerly the Weightlifting Association of the Philippines), and Philippine National Shooting Association president Richard Fernandez.
Puentevella described the scene as a rowdy POC meeting.
“It’s much politicized. The four PSC commissioners were also not allowed to join even as observers and yet we spend PSC money for POC? Weightlifting and shooting weren’t also initially allowed. But we fought for our right to be recognized. After all, I have been chairman of the POC board and first vice president. We are the lone NSA to win an Olympic medal for this country in Rio,” he added.
The weightlifting chief said the question remains even as the election will proceed.
“Who are qualified to be candidates? More trouble ahead this coming Friday. Not looking good for Philippine sports. Pity the athletes,” he said.
Fernandez said that PSC will impose strict policies on NSAs, athletes and coaches who get funding and allowances from the commission if the same set of POC officials occupy the posts after the election. (HGD)