POC declares Patafa chief Philip Juico persona non grata after Obiena rift
FILE – PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico during the 2017 Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Olympic Committee has declared Philip Ella Juico, president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, persona non grata following the sports official’s rift with Olympian EJ Obiena.
POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said in a statement the agency will not recognize Juico as Patafa boss any longer after a review of its Ethics Committee.
“The POC approved the recommendation of the Ethics Committee declaring Juico as persona non grata,” said Tolentino. “We do not recognize him anymore as president of Patafa until the new election of its president.”
Tolentino added that the POC will maintain its recognition of Patafa as a national sports association, as well as its officers, despite the sanction on Juico.
The POC’s Ethics Committee concluded that its ruling was due to how Juico “harassed” Obiena with the official making “malicious public accusations.”
Tolentino said that Obiena would still represent the Philippines in future international competitions in 2022 including the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
“If Patafa won’t endorse him, which I doubt they would, then we will,” said Tolentino.
The Ethics Committee added that Juico maligned Obiena, a finalist in the pole vaulting competition of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the Asian record holder, due to his accusations that the athlete allegedly falsified his liquidation reports regarding payment for Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov.
Of the 15 members of the POC Executive Board, 11 approved of the Ethics Committee’s recommendation, which the General Assembly will ratify in its January meeting.
POC honorary president Ricky Vargas, first vice president Al Panlilo, second vice president Richard Gomez, treasurer Cynthia Carrion-Norton, auditor Joaquin Loyzaga and board members David Carter, Dr. Jose Raul Canlas and Pearl Managuelod favored the recommendation, along with Athletes’ Commission head Nikko Huelgas and Secretary General Edwin Gastanes.
Charlie Ho of netball and International Olympic Committee Representative to the Philippines Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, meanwhile, abstained from voting.
Tolentino did not vote in the proceedings as he presided over the meeting in the absence of chairman Steve Hontiveros.
Juico is the second NSA and Patafa official to be declared persona non grata after Go Teng Kok, who received the same sanction in 2011 from then POC chief Jose Cojuangco Jr.
