POC meeting sidelights: Peping vs Aventajado

While there are other important matters on the agenda, the reported rift between Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco and chairman Robert Aventajado will surely bug the minds of those who will attend tomorrow’s POC executive board meeting in Makati.

For different reasons, Cojuangco and Aventajado, sources said, are no longer seeing eye to eye.

The rift between the POC’s top two officials apparently started even before the country hosted the 23rd Southeast Asian Games and worsened shortly after the staging of the biennial event last December.

According to reports, it had something to do with Aventajado’s alleged failure to deliver as head of the broadcast committee of the SEA Games. The reports said Aventajado had promised, but failed to raise millions of pesos in broadcast revenues.

The Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee or Philsoc, which was chaired by Cojuangco, also fell short of its target — in marketing and logistics. It faced millions of pesos in debts to those who provided services during the Games, like transportation, catering, accommodation and even the volunteers who were to receive allowances.

A reliable source said some finger-pointing could have taken place when a trail of debts started hounding Philsoc after the SEA Games.

Philsoc, however, said it has no plans of running away from all its obligations as it awaits collection of its remaining collectibles from some sponsors.

An NSA president who requested anonymity said he’s been noticing that the relationship between Cojuangco and Aventajado "is no longer as cordial as it was before."

Just recently, Aventajado resigned as head of the committee that was formed by Cojuangco to look after the basketball controversy that led to the scrapping of basketball competitions in last year’s SEA Games.

Aventajado said he gave up the position so he could concentrate on his roles in the POC executive committee. But his resignation only fueled the rumors about his rift with Cojuangco.

On tomorrow’s agenda, according to POC secretary-general Steve Hontiveros, will be the resignation of judo president Rey Jaylo as POC second vice president; the guidelines on the composition of the RP delagation to the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in December; and the choice of the RP chef-de-mission for the quadrennial event.

Jaylo, a retired police officer, resigned because of a pending case of the government against him, and thanked the POC for the opportunity to serve as its second vice president. Weightlifting’s Monico Puentevella is the first vice president.

Hontiveros said the POC will have to call an election in 30 days for the position vacated by Jaylo.

The choice for the position of chef-de-mission is still open with sepak takraw’s Mario Tanchanco looming as the possible choice.