Commissioner William "Butch" Ramirez, a management expert, former professor with a firm grasp of sports management and a former seminarian with a mission to serve, was given a fresh mandate to serve Philippine sports.
President Arroyo yesterday rejected the resignation of Ramirez but accepted those of commissioners Amparo "Weena" Lim and Ricardo "Ritchie" Garcia.
In her weekly press conference at Malacañang yesterday, the Chief Executive said she is still looking for the replacements of Lim and Garcia who resigned last week.
"I have not accepted the resignation of Butch Ramirez. So I will be replacing the other two," the President said.
PSC chair Eric Buhain, when informed of the new developments, said Ramirez’s retention as commissioner is a welcome news.
"Commissioner Ramirez has helped a lot in the last few months of chairman (Carlos) Tuason’s administration. Since there is a clamor from the two groups of athletes for his retention, this is really good for Philippine sports," Buhain told The STAR while on his way to Baguio to inspect the training camp there.
The President did not explain why she retained Ramirez, an appointee of former President Joseph Estrada, but from all indications, she must have been informed of Ramirez’ qualifications for the job and his track record while holding office as executive director and, in a concurrent capacity, member of the PSC board of commissioners for nine months.
Ramirez said he himself personally received word from the President that his services have been retained when he met the Chief Executive during her visit to Antique.
"I’m happy about the appointment. I’ll put in my best," Ramirez told The STAR in a phone interview from Gen. Santos City.
However, his academic and sports backgrounds for the job were not the only factors that came into the Presidential decision. Ramirez said the President showed interest in his Sports for Peace program which he implemented successfully through the first Mindanao Friendship Games, a multi-event which brought together Muslims, Christians and Lumads in the spirit of camaraderie through sports.
The Mindanao peace initiative is on top of the President’s agenda. The President herself commended the staging of the first Mindanao Games, put up at a low budget of P6-million – against the P60-million it takes to hold a Palaro.
Ramirez left Manila after he tendered his courtesy resignation – he was the very first to do so – right on the day Tuason confirmed his more than three weeks ago.
Even as he had consigned himself to the reality that a new commissioner would take his place, Ramirez went on to do what he loved most – serve sports and fellow Mindanaoans.
He met this week with members of the League of Mayors and League of Governors in Mindanao to help prepare the blueprint for Mindanao’s bid to host the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.
In Antique, he had the chance to meet the President. They talked about grassroots development in Visayas and Mindanao. Then the President told him she had not accepted his resignation. — With reports from Gerry Carpio and Abac Cordero