IT?S HARD to mistake the PSC chair for the POC president.
These two top Filipino sports officials own thickly contrasting managerial styles.
Peping Cojuangco, the Philippine Olympic Committee chief, tarries long before drawing his gun.
The delay, you bet, is often costly.
On the other hand, Harry Angping, big boss at the Philippine Sports Commission, is a fast draw.
He gets things done, quick.
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Angping had, in fact, set a record when he promptly padlocked the sleazy beer joints around the old Rizal Memorial Coliseum, off Adriatico Street.
Leonine in looks, Angping is a strict, unforgiving sheriff.
They call him Dirty Harry, meaning he could also be ruthless.
Angping, no wonder, has also been scored for harassment.
There?s in fact this complaint against him, sent to the Inquirer by the hard-hitting columnist Danny Simon of Tonite Police Files:
?Hindi inaasahan ng korner na ito nang minsang sumugod sa PSC Media headquarters si chairman Harry Angping at umuusok na dinuro ang inyong lingkod habang may kausap ako sa telepono kasama ang kanyang dalawang bodyguards.?
As Simon?s opening paragraph detailed it, Angping confronted him at the PSC Media Center recently with fingers blazing. Angping, Simon claimed, had two burly bodyguards with him.
Here?s the rest of the complaint against the PSC chief, liberally translated from the sharp tabloid dialect of Danny Simon:
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?Angping charged at me like a dockyard bully.
He loudly accused me (?Marami ka nang atraso sa akin?) then poked his forefinger in my face.
?He tried to show to my colleagues at the Media HQ that he could be brutal with his critics.
??Trabaho lang chairman (All part of my job),? I told him.
?I stood my ground and refused to be intimidated.?
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?Just that and the ruthless PSC chieftain, head shaking, turned his back and left.
?Actually, it was not the first time I had been confronted by Angping.
?There was one instance when he chanced upon me having lunch with my troop at the PSC media center.
?He wasted no time insulting me.
??Huwag niyong pababayaan si Danny Simon? huwag lalasunin (Make sure you don?t poison Danny Simon),? he sarcastically reminded my group.
?This was followed with the removal of my name from the masterlist of PSC Media Group members.
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?Angping had also made sure I would not be invited to all media events involving his administration, while making sure only PSC-FRIENDLY media men were accounted for in their affairs.
?He has refused to recognize my newspaper.
?Angping only tries to be friendly with reporters who feed his ego with pogi points.
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?Anyway, from what I?ve learned, Angping was particularly irked after I wrote about the rapid layoff of PSC workers while he never hesitated to take in new employees into his fresh administration.
?I also learned Angping has never forgiven me for criticizing him as head of softball, a sport totally alien to him.
?I also wrote in my column UPPERCUT how Angping prioritized the infrastructure of his agency to the detriment of national athletes.
"It was clearly his style of playing politics at the PSC.
?Angping was a typical Chinese boss who wanted everybody to always follow his orders, regardless of consequences.
?He clearly plays favorites in the case of national sports associations (NSAs), with officials close to him getting hefty cuts in the budget.
?I?m forced to make public this complaint, aware that it could also cause me harm.
?I?m also filing this complaint with the Philippine Sportswriters Association and the National Press Club.
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(This column would be glad to have Chairman Angping?s side of the issue.)