Congressmen seek Carrion ouster

The House Committee on Youth and Sports Development asked President Arroyo yesterday to remove Cynthia Carrion as commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

The appeal was contained in a resolution signed by 25 members of the committee led by its chairman, Rep. Monico Puentebella of Bacolod City.

In the same resolution, the panel batted for the retention of William Ramirez as PSC member.

In seeking the removal of Carrion, members of the committee said she is not a team worker and has committed "acts inimical to the unity" of the PSC board.

Carrion, an appointee of the President, told the STAR she did not resign when two other commissioners – Richie Garcia and Amparo Lim – tendered theirs last week.

In the resolution, the committee members said Carrion had usurped the function of the chairman and overstepped her bounds as a commissioner.

Papers received by the committee showed that Carrion hired one Agnes Cruz as executive assistant effective Jan. 16 despite a note by then PSC chair Carlos ‘Butch’ Tuason that Cruz had an unliquidated account of more than P500,000 with the commission and therefore could not be hired.

News clippings forwarded to the committee also showed that Carrion namedropped President Arroyo in claiming to media that the Palarong Pambansa would be held in Lanao del Norte although the Chief Executive has yet to decide on the venue of the games.

Another preemptive pronouncement made by Carrion, the House committee noted, was that judoka Benjamin McMurray is being eyed as PSC commissioner and that track star Lydia de Vega and Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (Philspada) president Mike Barredo are out of the short list.

Pronouncements on positions in and decisions by the PSC are vested solely on the Office of the Chairman, which is now held by swimmer Eric Buhain.

The other congressmen who signed the resolution were Conrado Estrella III and Generoso Tulagan of Pangasinan, Jaime Lopez of Manila, Juan Pablo Bondoc of Pampanga, Augusto Syjuco and Arthur Defensor of Iloilo, Apolinario Lozada Jr. and Jose Carlos Lacson of Negros Occidental, Felix William Fuentebella and Cho Roco of Camarines Sur, Vincent Garcia of Davao City, Abraham Kahlil Mitra of Palawan, Gilbert Remulla of Cavite, Antonio Cuenco and Jose Gullas of Cebu City, Soraya Jaafar of Tawi-Tawi, Rodolfo Albano of Isabela, Ma. Theresa Defensor and Ismael Mathay III of Quezon City, Robert Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Del de Guzman of Marikina City, Emilio Macias of Negros Oriental, Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela City and Imee Marcos of Ilocos Norte.

Ramirez, on the other hand, "is a team player and well-liked by his colleagues and subordinates," the solons said.

He possesses the intellect and experience to discharge the duties of his office, they noted.

"His retention will provide continuity in the PSC’s programs and ensure the success and effectiveness of the new PSC leadership," they stressed.