THE PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) will question the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) decision to hold the Philippine National Games (PNG) and the Batang Pinoy simultaneously in separate venues in the National Capital Region from Dec. 17 to 23.

The POC is expected to discuss the issue when it convenes in a general assembly on Oct. 27 at the East Ocean Restaurant in Parañaque City.

The national Olympic movement expressed in a statement that holding both programs simultaneously “raises questions on the overall integrity of the conduct of the programs with the NSAs (National Sports Associations).”

It added that the NSAs are “pressed to manage and supervise numerous operations in several age brackets in each of the six days of the PNG and Batang Pinoy.”

The PNG is practically the national championships of all NSAs while the Batang Pinoy is a competition for the country’s grassroots development program.

It was traditionally staged separately before the PSC decided to hold it as one this year.

It is not known if the POC’s recent move could be connected to its pervading tension with the PSC due to the latter’s demand for the former to liquidate the financial assistance worth P10 million in the last 25 years.

Meanwhile, POC President Abraham Tolentino yesterday appointed kickboxing’s Atty. Wharton Chan as his new secretary-general, succeeding Atty. Edwin Gastanes.

“Mr. Wharton (Chan) has shown dedication and energy and his familiarity with the operations of the POC in relation to the International Olympic Committee and the national sports associations [NSAs] fits him to a ‘T,’” said Mr. Tolentino.

Apart from being Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas’ secretary-general, Mr. Chan is also the POC’s head of legal department. — Joey Villar

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