Mendoza: Filipino biggest winner in Obiena-Juico closure

Mendoza: Filipino biggest winner in Obiena-Juico closure

NO doubt that EJ Obiena and Philip Ella Juico were both winners. But, definitely, the biggest winner is the Filipino.

By patching up their differences and burying the baggage of backwardness, Obiena and Juico have not only done something extraordinarily good for themselves but, more importantly, they have done their patriotic duty of service to the republic.

There is nothing compared to one’s civic duty to take into heart the paramount concern of the land over one’s own personal interest.

It is along that line that I doff my heart to Obiena and Juico. Juico, most especially because he finally backed out from the boisterous brouhaha he himself had foisted on Obiena over matters of no substance at all.

For, why would Obiena even think of touching money that is not his? Isn’t he more preoccupied with his world ranking in pole vault so that his training takes primordial consideration over matters totally unrelated to his mission to bring honor to his country?

Before they decided to mend their fences and pledge to move forward, Obiena and Juico had gotten themselves locked up in a battle that was nothing but bordering on petty infighting.

I do not wish to return to this ugly episode in Philippine sports but if only to put things in their proper perspective, let me say with finality that it was Juico’s unrelenting accusation—without a solid basis—that Obiena mishandled the salaries of Vitaly Petrov, Obiena’s Ukrainian coach for the last seven years.

Even when Petrov absolved Obiena of any wrongdoing through an affidavit, Juico still pursued his ill-fated case against Obiena.

I was glad that Chair Butch Ramirez of the Philippine Sports Commission had stepped in to mediate—a move solidly backed by Sen. Bong Go through Senate Sports Committee hearings presided by Go as Committee chair.

The two times that Go called for a speedy resolution to the rift produced the desired result, paving the way now for Obiena to finally compete in the European World Athletes in July to further buttress his global No. 5 seeding.

But, more importantly, Obiena can now compete in the Hanoi SEA Games set in May, giving him the opportunity to defend the crown he won in the 2019 Manila SEA Games.

As the saying goes, all’s well that ends well.

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