INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines--The group of parents, swimmers and coaches reiterated Friday their call for the Philippine Olympic Committee to resolve the leadership of the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association even as Pasa chief Mark Joseph maintained that he has the mandate until 2010.

Jane Ong, a mother of a Palarong Pambansa gold winner and spokesperson for the group, said in a press release the group will no longer recognize Joseph as Pasa president "unless and until the POC calls for the elections of of regional directors."

However, in an e-mail Joseph said he has been re-elected president in 2006 with a four-year term "in accordance with our constitutions and by-laws."

"That e-mail was sent in reply to [what] an anonymous sender e-mailed to various swimming people," said Joseph in reference to the press release sent by the parents' group. "It's general but widely circulated so no harm, I guess."

The group revealed Friday that they are merely asking the POC to implement "its own rules," referring to an agreement signed by Joseph when he took over from Monchito Ilagan in 2005.

"What we want is the fulfillment of their own ruling," said the group spokesperson.

The issue could go up the POC arbitration committee which used to be headed by POC chair and taekwondo head Robert Aventajado, who presided over the 2005 deal between Joseph and Ilagan.

However, POC spokesman Joey Romasanta said the leadership of the arbitration committee is not anymore confined to a single person. Of late, he said the cases brought to the committee are given to any member of the POC expanded board.