PSC chair William Ramirez. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
This is a portrait of Philippine Sports Commission Chair Butch Ramirez as a diplomat.
In the mold of his fellow Davaoeño, peace envoy Jess Dureza, Ramirez attempted to patch things up between two warring leaders.
But his diplomatic efforts ran into a brick wall of indifference during an abortive meeting Wednesday.
For the record, Ramirez invited amateur boxing chief Ricky Vargas and Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. at the PSC for amity talks before the POC elections scheduled for today.
The president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines showed up, but Cojuangco didn’t, saying he was not formally invited and even if he was, he would not have gone anyway.
The political-cum-legal entanglement involving the two is “already in the courts,” said Cojuangco.
Barred earlier from challenging Cojuangco for the POC presidency for failure to meet the requirements of a POC member, Vargas is seeking a temporary restraining order from the Pasig Regional Trial Court to halt the POC polls.
If a TRO is granted, the International Olympic Committee could cite government interference and suspend the POC and the country from Olympic participation.
(The Pasig RTC denied the request for TRO. -Ed)
The doomsday scenario sparked Ramirez to mediate and ostensibly convince Cojuangco to let Vargas oppose his candidacy for a record fourth term.
Ramirez called the meeting with impassioned remarks for “the sake of our country, athletes…before the POC can be suspended.”
But the Cojuangco camp offered no opportunity for a fresh start. Instead, its message after the failed summit was that the same rules still apply against Vargas.
“I am saddened that the door for opportunities to move forward has been effectively shut by the absence of the other side,” said Vargas in a statement. “This refusal to sit down and collectively seek a resolution highlights the sorry attitude and culture of entitlement of the current POC leadership…”
The statement drew a pointed rebuke from Joey Romasanta, Cojuangco’s top lieutenant, who said in no uncertain terms that Cojuangco and company will only play according to their rules.
In a left-handed compliment to the PSC Chair, Romasanta said “the effort made by Ramirez was laudable” although it could not have changed Vargas’ situation.
Thus Ramirez’s first attempt at diplomacy since returning at the PSC’s helm became a lesson in POC realpolitik.
Armed with good intentions, he hoped that two men would come out with public clichés of accord that usually follow a meeting.
But an ambassadorial coup was not in his future.