INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Well-meaning sportsmen could not believe it when they learned how the Philippine Olympic Committee had slammed and slimed the official election of former national cyclist Rolando Hiso as president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling).

They all raised a howl.

It was a dirty tactic even jaded residents of the underworld would not dare use.

“This is savage, totally unthinkable,” hollered Rudy Salud, founding secretary general of the World Boxing Council and revered former commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association.

“Good God, this is the first time I’ve heard of installment election,” groaned boxing expert Manny Piñol, the vice governor of North Cotabato who himself had survived some of the dirtiest tactics in both sports and political battlefields.

* * *

It’s like this:

Hiso was picked PhilCycling president through a board vote at the Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City last May 9.

That exercise was ordered by POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco to end what he termed were intra-NSA squabbles, or leadership disputes in national sports associations.

The election was supervised by three POC representatives, headed by athletics chief Go Teng Kok, the powerful special assistant to Cojuangco.

After Hiso’s slim victory over Mikee Romero, the winner’s name was posted in the official POC website as the duly elected PhilCycling president.

* * *

Hiso was next asked to submit his national lineup for the Laos Southeast Asian Games.

He was later introduced by Go in a meeting among national sports association leaders as the national cycling federation president.

However, in a subsequent PhilCycling board meeting at Tropical Hut around the Quezon City Memorial Circle on May 17, two former Hiso allies, Cesar Filosopo and Armando Bautista, did the unthinkable.

They cornered Hiso and ordered him to step down.

* * *

Hiso told this reporter he suspected his two former chums, one of them a police runner with a shady reputation, had received tremendous payoffs so they would turn traitor.

When Hiso asked why he should quit, the daring duo said Romero had upstaged him after two board members—nowhere in the official vicinity during the appointed hour of the vote—were made to cast votes seven days after the PhilCyling election on May 9.

Hiso claimed that Filosopo, gun tucked under his belt, sounded irked and threatened him if he did not step down.

Hiso refused to budge.

* * *

Meanwhile, Go himself assured that Hiso would be recognized.

POC secretary general Steve Hontiveros said the results of the May 9 cycling polls should be upheld.

As accusations flew, POC spokesperson Joey Romasanta said there should be no worry as the result of the cycling polls would be announced and recognized last Friday.

But, instead of the expected recognition, Cojuangco’s office came up with a stunning stand.

Cojuangco said the winners would not be upheld until the squabbles, created and delivered by the dirty duo of Filosopo and Bautista to the cycling officialdom, were settled.

* * *

You see, Cojuangco had ordered the elections to end the disputes.

Now he would not recognize the official result because those who had been causing trouble in the association wanted their moneyed choice to be installed as cycling chief.

The IOC must, please, make a move.

Otherwise, there would be no end to this anomaly.

There’s a clear attempt to sabotage the Olympic movement using the office of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

* * *

Actually, after the failed two-man coup on Hiso, this reporter urged the POC president to seek police help and stop these mad dogs in their sick tracks.

There lies the danger.

Based on his wild actuations, it’s easy to suspect Cojuangco had himself been infected by these rabid traitors.

Maybe the IOC chief should distance himself from the POC president?