Give And Go
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Relations within the Philippine Olympic Committee had another twist when top leadership decided to make sweeping changes in the organization early this week.
In a rather surprising move, POC president Ricky Vargas at the group’s general assembly with national sports association members announced that he would make some changes, removing some officials in key positions and replacing them over what he refers to as loss of trust and confidence.
Among those removed were Robert Bachmann (squash) as chairman of the membership committee, Peping Cojuangco (equestrian) as chairman of the constitution and bylaws, Monsour Del Rosario (taekwondo) as chief of mission to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and Joey Romasanta as chief of mission to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Vargas said the decision was arrived at as he had lost trust and confidence in the aforementioned officials for what he said was their continuous efforts to undermine his leadership and action for reforms as well as his integrity since taking office in February last year.
He replaced Cojuangco who was POC president for 13 years.
Vargas, who has gone public about his concerns over too much politics in the POC, also suggested that elections be held in January to elect “deserving candidates who will fight for reforms and good governance” in the organization.
Understandably, the turn of events did not sit well with those who were removed from their posts, questioning the move’s validity and even called for an election themselves at the soonest possible time to determine if the current leadership has the support of the assembly.
They also asserted that Vargas and his group should address several issues, including the formation of the Philippine Southeast Asia Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) and alleged overpricing of supplies for the 2019 SEA Games which is to take place later this year in the country.
While news of power struggle in the POC is no longer new, still one cannot help but lament this latest twist in the organization.
We aspire to raise development and handling of sports in the country yet the people tasked to lead such thrust could not get along among themselves.
Call me naïve but I still believe that all these men and women sports leaders of ours have the welfare of the sporting community in mind.
They just have their own ways of going about it and a truly meeting of the minds has yet to happen among them.
I just hope that this latest episode does not affect our preparations for the SEA Games, which have taken a beating already across various fronts.
For an event with national significance, proponents of it should have, if not a united, at least a “working” front to make things happen and ensure that the SEA Games is staged with little hiccups as possible.
How this latest leadership row in the POC would be resolved is anybody’s guess considering how deep the “animosity” seemingly has reached.
But something has to give, and that officials should recognize, for the good of not only the office they hold but Philippine sports in general.
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld senior reporter covering the Sports beat.
