Carrion appointed to tourism post

President Arroyo has appointed Commissioner Cynthia Carrion of the Philippine Sports Commission deputy director of the Philippine Visitors Convention Center.

Carrion, a friend and former classmate of the President, will assume her new position within two weeks after she has turned over her functions to incoming commissioner Ambrocio de Luna, who was appointed to the position by the President Thursday.

Carrion said she had requested the Chief Executive that she be transferred to a new government agency following intramurals involving her and the rest of the PSC board of commissioners, including chairman Eric Buhain, who asked Malacañang for her ouster.

"When misunderstandings and internal problems in the PSC and within us in the board cropped up sometime early 2002, I immediately asked the President for my transfer to DOT, and persistently waited for her grant of my request," said Carrion.

She said just recently the President told her personally she could already transfer to the DOT, where she was eventually to assume a much higher position within two months.

"I got my wish and the President herself told me I could transfer after the Philippine women’s congress (in November)," she said.

She said Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon welcomed her to the DOT although she may not be able to transfer until after she has completed the turnover to the incoming commissioner.

Carrion belied reports that she was fired or was forced to resign.

"Right before the President wanted to appoint me as Commissioner in the PSC sometime April 2001, I had wished to decline and in fact, personally asked the President (that) I served instead for tourism because I knew very well the politics in sports," she said. "As a very private and peaceful person as I am, I had feared the intricacies of politics."

She denied allegations that ever since she came into office, she threw her weight around, or got into anomalous transactions, such as malversation of funds.

"My only fault is my hiring of my former executive assistant which drew the ire of my colleagues in the board," she said. "I wanted peace and in my desire for peace I told the President that I am more fit to serve in tourism."

However, Carrion said she will not leave sports completely.

A former president of the Philippine International Competitive Aerobics Federation, Carrion said she will continue the programs she started in the PSC.

Among these are the institution of the women and sports programs in the Philippines with the formation and help of the national working group of women and sports in all the 16 regions of the country, and the sport program of under-privileged children and migrant youth.