Give And Go
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
The last two months have been a tumultuous one for the Philippine Olympic Committee with the body marred in a contentious leadership quagmire.
It started to turn south in the middle of June when erstwhile POC president Ricky Vargas decided to step down, just 16 months since taking office in February last year.
Vargas tendered his irrevocable resignation to give way, he said, to other sports leaders “who would have the time and inclination needed to lead the POC.”
Prior to stepping down, Vargas made known that he has grown tired of the politics inside the national Olympic body and the constant “maneuvering” among the people under him, which he described as making it hard for him to dispense his duties and goals.
Vargas replaced Peping Cojuangco, who was POC president for 13 years.
By virtue of succession, first vice-president Joey Romasanta assumed the POC presidency upon the exit of Vargas.
But while everybody thought the POC was ready to move on, things continued to be murky within the organization.
Contentions and allegations, including ones pertaining to the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games later this year, were flung left and right after.
Emergency meetings and press conferences and more resignations ensued, further exacerbating affairs in the POC.
Stepping in were the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, seeking to have the POC leadership issue resolved at the soonest possible time lest the national sports body fall to further disarray, which would not be good for the standing of the country in the international sporting community for the long run.
The international Olympic bodies directed the POC to get a hold of itself and settle things among its members with a firmer resolution of the issue hounding it in mind.
They proposed a series of meetings by the POC, culminating in special elections of officers on July 28.
With the IOC and OCA officials witnessing, the POC threshed out the details of the special elections during an extraordinary general assembly held last Thursday.
Agreed upon were the final election venue and date and positions up for grabs, including that of the president and chairman.
Members of the electoral board were selected, and then approved, with 46 national sports associations short-listed to take a vote.
As of this writing, the official list of candidates for the positions has yet to be released although reports have it that among those interested to run for president are former POC chairman as well as PhilCycling president Abraham Tolentino and POC board member Clint Aranas (archery).
Not for anything else, the POC should look at the upcoming special polls as another chance to set its house in order and work in concert moving forward.
The ongoing leadership issue, for this space, is not helping the organization in every bit more so since its members have it in them to work it out if they so do choose.
Each member of the POC I am sure have the welfare of Philippine sports in mind but just have their own ways of going about achieving it.
Well, gentlemen and ladies, now is the time to have the POC as a body, and sports in general, to come foremost. The soonest we realize this, the better.
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
