POC official hit on PSC row

MANILA, Philippines - This letter comes as a reaction to the statements from an unnamed POC (Philippine Olympic Committee) official in a STAR story (POC official slams Cojuangco, Elizalde), which came out on March 8, 2009.

Hiding under the cloak of anonymity, the POC member expressed observations negating a resolution passed by the POC Executive Board that asked President Arroyo to replace Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping.

For the better appreciation of the public, the resolution is a collective action of the 14-man board that required hours of deliberation to determine if such was merited under the given situation. Fortunately for us, the opinions of the anonymous POC member did not count in that deliberation.

The unnamed source raised the issue of losing vital financial support from the PSC should the POC executive board make good on its declaration to sever ties with the PSC if Angping is retained.

PSC is mandated by law to extend all support to national athletes directly or indirectly so the source should not fear for the athletes.

The “POC member” could have been a habitual absentee in our assemblies where I had repeatedly encouraged POC members to be self-sufficient and not mendicants for PSC financial support.

The POC has the highest level of respect for the President and the request of the Executive Board is intended to prevent an untenable situation and not usurp powers that solely belong to the Chief Executive.

Finally, there is no reason for the POC to vacate its present office because that space had long been awarded to the POC under a Memorandum of Agreement signed by my predecessor POC president Celso Dayrit and former PSC chairman Butch Tuason with no less than International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch as witness. – Jose Cojuangco Jr., POC president