Iroy ready to turn over duties to Coo

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) executive director and officer-in-charge Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr. yesterday said he wrote Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez to ask if he could turn over his OIC duties to newly appointed commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo.

“I already wrote the Executive Secretary to inform them (Malacañang) and request issuance of a memo to designate commissioner Bong Coo as OIC, although she is yet to take her oath,” Iroy yesterday told The STAR.

Iroy’s letter came before Malacañang recently extended the term of office for all OICs of state agencies, including the PSC, until the end of the year or until their replacements are named.

Initially, Rodriguez has given all senior officials of agencies until the end of July to serve as temporary heads, leaving Iroy in charge of the PSC’s day-to-day operations.

But the early appointment of Coo as commissioner makes it moot for Iroy to transfer his OIC duties to the bowling great.

The other posts of PSC chairperson and three more commissioners remain vacant.

But the appointments may come soon as the country needs to sustain the upward trend in sports following recent successes of the young weightlifters headed by 18-year-old Vanessa Sarno, world and Asian gymnastics champion Caloy Yulo, World Games karate gold medalist Junna Tsukii and World Championships pole vault bronze winner EJ Obiena.