Embattled athletics chief vows to fight Olympic body's withdrawal of recognition
MANILA, Philippines – Beleaguered Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Philip Ella Juico isn’t about to throw in the towel just yet in the issues between him and Tokyo Olympian pole-vaulter EJ Obiena and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
Juico stressed that he will contest the decision of the POC executive board declaring him persona non-grata Tuesday for allegedly harassing Obiena, who was accused by the former of allegedly falsifying liquidations concerning his Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov.
“Of course, we will fight it,” Juico told ANC’s “After The Fact” host Christian Guevarra Wednesday night. “This is not within their jurisdiction, this is an intra-NSA (national sports association) issue, and under their own constitution, such are to be resolved first within the NSA.”
Juico said the PATAFA board came up with a board resolution calling the POC executive board decision as an invalid one.
“We will contest that and we will go all the way wherever we need to go,” said the former Philippine Sports Commission chairman.
Juico said the POC executive board decision would need to get the nod of the POC general assembly first before it could be rendered final.
Eleven of the 14 POC executive board members made the verdict in its meeting at the East Ocean Palace restaurant in Paranaque upon the recommendation of its executive committee chaired by Patrick Gregorio of rowing.
The POC ethics committee reacted on a complaint filed Obiena, who cited harassment as his one his reason.
But Juico said they were just forced to act on the matter to protect PATAFA and government interests.
“I will ask, when somebody reports to you an alleged wrongdoing, whether an Olympian or a loser, what are you supposed to do? Am I not supposed to refer it to our people, unless I be accused of covering it up,” said Juico. “Ano pa ba dapat gawin (What else needs to be done), keep quiet? Is there a different law for Olympians and a different law for non-Olympians? Di ba pantay-pantay ito (Aren’t we supposed to treat people equally?”
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