The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) have entered the picture to put order in the leadership of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
In a letter to the POC executive board, James Macleod, IOC director of Olympic solidarity and NOC relations, said both the IOC and OCA will send their observers to attend the extraordinary general assembly where the vacant positions in the POC will be filled up through an election.
As things stand, former POC president Ricky Vargas has officially tendered his resignation together with POC board members Clint Aranas of archery and Cynthia Carrion of gymnastics.
The IOC-OCA directive, which was also signed by OCA director general Husain Al-Musallam, instructed the POC to clarify the current situation within the executive board, and if anyone has formally resigned, provide the IOC and OCA a copy of the board member’s letter of resignation.
Once this is clarified, Macleod said the POC should convene an extraordinary general assembly to take appropriate decisions to fill any vacancy in accordance with the POC constitution and by-laws.
“As the supreme decision-making body of the POC, the POC general assembly is the competent body to decide on the next steps and to resolve any issues prevailing at the level of the executive board,” said Macleod and Al-Musallam in a joint notice.
“Please take note that the IOC and OCA will send an observer to attend the extraordinary general assembly,” they added.
Macleod and Al-Musallam also instructed the POC not to take any further unilateral decision or action without prior consultation with the IOC and OCA.
Newly appointed POC secretary general Charlie Ho said the POC has to comply with the IOC-OCA directive, which urged the local Olympic body to present its plans and steps preparatory to an election.
“We don’t have a time frame for this. We need to get an approval from the IOC on every move we make,” said Ho after emerging from a three-hour POC executive committee meeting attended by majority of the 13-man board at the GSIS office in Pasay City.
“As far as the board is concerned, we want to hold the elections as soon as possible but in compliance with the constitution and by-laws,” added Ho.
According to Ho, the proposed steps would be to appoint the chair and members of the election committee, set the election guidelines for the filing of candidacy and schedule the polls after getting the approval of the IOC.
Ho, the president of the country’s netball association, said POC president Joey Romasanta would still function as POC chief in an acting capacity until the elections, after which Romasanta reverts to his original position as first vice president.