Solons eye four-year term for PSC executives

MANILA, Philippines – House leaders yesterday moved to amend the charter of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to give its officials a longer fixed tenure to implement a long-term sports program for the country.

Speaker Prospero Nograles, one of the principal authors of House Bill 6242, said providing the PSC officials a fixed four-year term or one Olympic cycle will give them the mandate to pursue a rational and viable sports program for the country.

“Within this period, the PSC officials can adopt a program to search for potential athletes, develop, train and maintain them for the national pool,” Nograles said.

“The lack of continuity on the programs of the PSC may have contributed to the inability of our athletes to win any gold in the Olympic games,” the Speaker said.

One of the salient features of House Bill 6242 is the provision that gives the PSC chairman and the four commissioners a four-year fixed term. Republic Act 6847, which created the PSC, does not provide for a fixed term for the chairman and the four commissioners.

“They can be appointed today as chairman and commissioners and be sacked the next day,” the Speaker said.

Under the bill seeking to amend RA 6847, the President may appoint the PSC chairman for a term of four years. The commissioners to be appointed by the chief executive shall serve a term of four years.

The bill mandates the PSC Board of Commissioners to develop, promulgate and implement policies, rules and regulations needed and proper for the accomplishment of the Board’s purposes and objectives.

The Board shall also determine the organizational structure necessary to efficiently and effectively carry out the functions of the commission.

Other authors of the bill include Reps. Eric Singson (2nd District, Ilocos Sur), Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (1st District, Leyte), Aurelio Gonzales, Jr. (3rd District, Pampanga), Maria Carissa Coscolluela (Party-List, Buhay), Wilfrido Mark Enverga (1st District, Quezon), Roberto Puno (1st District, Antipolo City), Mark Llandro Mendoza (4th District, Batangas), Rex Gatchalian (1st District, Valenzuela City) and Nerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz (6th District, Cebu).