Shielding troops from POC mess

Tuloy pa ang gulo,” (the commotion continues) lamented Philippine Sports Commission Chair (PSC) William Ramirez as a power vacuum remains in effect at the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

“The situation does not nudge me one bit as PSC chair and chef de mission (CDM) of Team Philippines to the Southeast Asian Games,” according to Ramirez.

But he acknowledged that as CDM, he is exerting every effort to isolate the troops from the POC leadership squabble while they train for the 30th SEA Games the Philippines is hosting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

Ramirez reported via Messenger on Tuesday that a general assembly and fellowship for athletes will be held on Friday at PhilSports in Pasig City, where there will also be distribution of their uniforms. The nationals will also hear inspirational words from local sports heroes and coaches of the past.

The guy who heads the agency that sets the country’s sports policy and funds the training of athletes said he will speak briefly at the event. He will urge the athletes to nurture the ability to rise to the occasion and the aptitude to turn a blind eye to pressure while gunning for the overall title in the subcontinental multisports competition.

Unlike the PSC, the POC is now left without a president, executive board chair and two board members following an explosive general assembly last week.

President Ricky Vargas resigned, alleging collusion to oust him by the old guards loyal to ex-Rep. Peping Cojuangco, whose long reign he ended as POC head last year.

Joey Romasanta, Peping’s longtime right-hand man, assumed leadership after Vargas left, but also resigned when his legitimacy as president was questioned, squelching talk of a power grab.

That set in motion events that led the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to step in and restore order in the POC executive board.

Both IOC and OCA in a directive to the board said they will send observers when elections are conducted to fill in the positions that have been vacated officially.

The date and mechanics of the emergency polls will be threshed out at a POC executive board meeting on Monday.

The POC’s umbrella bodies asked to “clarify the current situation in the POC executive board, and if anyone has formally resigned, to provide the IOC and OCA a copy of the board members’ letter of resignation.”

As I write this, Vargas has officially resigned, along with  POC chair Abraham Tolentino, board members Clint Aranas of archery and Cynthia Carreon of gymnastics.

Romasanta and the rest of the executive board, save three, resigned only verbally, and will be in a holdover capacity when the emergency polls are held.

“Elections are always divisive,” noted Romasanta, who said he has no intention of seeking any POC elective post.

But he urged the POC membership “to keep our house intact by holding an orderly, peaceful and credible elections.”