Lawyer takes over Carrion’s PSC post

President Arroyo has appointed lawyer Ambrocio De Luna, a former judge and sports advocate, to replace Cythia Carrion as commissioner in the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

De Luna told The STAR he is humbled by the trust and confidence of President Arroyo and PSC chairman Eric Buhain as he vowed to do his best to promote the welfare and interests of Filipino athletes and Philippines sports as a whole.

"I am humbled and grateful for their trust and confidence. I will do my best in performing my responsibilities using my legal and corporate background," De Luna said.

He said he applied for the job and was favorably endorsed by Pampanga Gov. Lito Lapid. He said he first met the President in May 2001 shortly after the uprising by Estrada supporters during one of her sorties accompanied by Lapid who was then the unofficial representative for the urban poor.

He said he will meet with Buhain next week to discuss his role on the PSC and vowed to work closely with PSC members.

He noted that the PSC has many dedicated people but is hampered by lack of funds.

"One of the primary objectives of the PSC is to promote physical fitness and sports, and part of that is the authority to raise funds. I hope to help in that aspect," he said.

Prior to his appointment, the 45-year-old De Luna was founder of the De Luna Office, a legal consultant to various golf and country clubs including the Tagaytay Highlands, Camp John Hay, and Sherwood Hills.

He is also an active board of trustee member of the Special Olympics Philippines, a local arm of an international body that promotes sports development for special children.

The President signed De Luna’s appointment papers last Jan. 3 although it was only last Wednesday that the PSC chairman was informed of the development by Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo. De Luna’s appointment came as a surprise since his name doesn’t even ring a bell within the sport community.

De Luna’s appointment leaves an all-male PSC board along with commissioners William "Butch" Ramirez, Leon Montemayor and Mike Barredo, and Buhain at the helm.

Buhain refused to say whether Carrion resigned or was fired, simply saying "she was replaced."

Carrion, an MBA graduate and a former classmate of the President at Assumption, barged into the PSC late in 2001 and occupied the seat vacated by former badminton Olympian Amparo "Weena" Lim, who had to resign after former President Joseph Estrada was removed from office.

Carrion’s tenure at the PSC, however, didn’t go on smoothly and, despite her perceived closeness to the President, she figured in a string of controversies starting last year. She was accused by her fellow members of the PSC board of malversation of funds worth P200,000, illegal hiring of personnel and throwing her weight around the agency.

At least 20 members of the House of Representatives led by Bacolod’s Monico Puentevella also signed a petition last February, asking the President to remove Carrion from the PSC. Puentevella, a former PSC commissioner, heads the House committee on youth and sports.

Carrion denied all the charges and said she was answerable only to the President.

"They better prove these charges because they are opening the doors to a libel case. As I’ve said, I will answer these charges because these are all lies. This (the PSC) is the last place I’ll get money from. I have apologized to the President for what’s happening," Carrion then said.

Weeks after the charges surfaced, Carrion and her fellow board members seemed to have kissed and made up with the issue dying a natural death although observers said it was never the same again within the PSC family.