Search for new PSC chief on

The Malacañang "Search Committee" Chaired by Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Avelino "Nonong" Cruz will start the "vetting process" to screen and select the possible replacement of Carlos "Butch" Tuason as chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) after the latter announced his resignation yesterday.

Cruz said President Arroyo will likely accept the resignation of Tuason, who decided to resign "to end once and for all the intrigues" thrown at his first cousin, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, husband of President Arroyo.

The First Gentleman told The STAR yesterday he was both sorry and proud to hear that Tuason had taken this initiative to spare him and the President of these controversies, which have tended to undermine the country’s sports and affected the Filipino athletes.

"He (Tuason) has made it clear he wants to resign effective immediately so that the President may have a free hand to reorganize the PSC," the First Gentleman said.

In the meantime, however, Cruz told The STAR yesterday, he would like to meet first with Tuason to discuss with him "face-to-face" his resignation from the PSC in a letter the latter sent to President Arroyo last week.

"I’ll ask him (Tuason) to see me first to discuss the transition in the light of his resignation," Cruz said.

"So there will be a change of chairmanship and I would like to discuss with him (Tuason) how the proper turn-over would be and we’ll make the proper announcement at a right time," Cruz pointed out.

This is why, Cruz said, he cannot talk about a new replacement "out of courtesy" to Tuason.

Cruz also refused to comment on reports that President Arroyo might appoint former Southeast Asian Games swimming champion Eric Buhain as the new PSC commissioner.

He said the "Search Committee" will still have to go through the list of nominees through the "vetting process" being followed by the President before any appointments are issued.

The two most-mentioned names following Tuason’s resignation were Buhain and the President’s former High School pal and current commissioner Cynthia Carrion, although the names of former PSC chair Philip Ella Juico and former Philippine Olympic Committee president Cristina Ramos have cropped up.

Buhain led the 1993 athletes’ march to Malacañang that eventually forced the resignation of then PSC chairman Aparicio Mequi and his commissioners.

"Eric Buhain will be the new chairman of the PSC," a Palace source told The STAR yesterday. "There is a lobby to name Cynthia Carrion (as Tuason’s replacement) but it will be Buhain."

However, a second check with Malacanang sources showed Buhain could eventually be considered for a commissioner’s post

When asked the other day if he was informed by Malacanang about his appointment, he said nobody had talked to him and was not even aware that he is being considered as Tuason’s replacement.

Among the four PSC commissioners under Tuason, Carrion is the only one appointed by President Arroyo, her former classmate at Assumption. The other commissioners appointed by Estrada are Ritchie Garcia, Weena Lim and Butch Ramirez.

Of the four commissioners, Carrion stands with the biggest chance of staying on in the PSC, probably even as chairman. A PSC insider said the President herself had promised the post to her close friend. — With reports from Abac Cordero and Dante Navarro