Amendment to sports law all up to GMA, says PSC chief

While he welcomed the proposed amendment of the law that created the Philippine Sports Commission, chairman Butch Ramirez said President Arroyo will still have the final say on the matter.

"The proposed amendment is sound and good. But in the end, I think it will still be the prerogative of the President. Because even if it is amended, we still need her signature," said Ramirez.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco announced last Thursday the creation of a bill that seeks to amend Republic Act 6847 which led to the creation of the PSC.

The bill was recently filed by Congressman Renato Unico Jr.

"But if everybody, and this includes the President, agrees that this will be for the good of Philippine sports, then I don’t see any reason why it will not be passed and made into law," Ramirez said.

On Jan. 24, 1990 the PSC was created with the main and specific task of looking after the welfare of the hundreds of national athletes and the different national sports associations.

Ramirez has four commissioners — Ritchie Garcia, Leon Montemayor, Ambrocio de Luna and Joey Mundo. They are all Presidential appointees, and their terms are co-terminus with that of the President.

The first important amendment in RA 6847, Cojuangco expressed, is that the five members of the PSC executive board must come from recommendees of the POC.

This will help ensure that those who are appointed by the President to the PSC top brass are people who are really in the know when it comes to sports management and decision-making.

"We have discovered there is a need to make certain changes if we hope to continue the upgrading of our competitiveness in international sports," said Cojuangco.

"What could be better than having the people running this institution (PSC) very well acquainted with the POC’s program, the POC being the entity recognized by the International Olympic Committee," he added.

This, Cojuangco added, will also assure a harmonious relationship between the PSC and POC in setting up the programs that would chart the country’s future in sports, particularly in the international arena.

The proposed amendment also calls for a fixed term of six years for the PSC chairman and his commissioners, but that their terms be staggered so that not all of them will end their terms at the same time.

This was, Cojuangco said, proposed to ensure continuity even if there are changes in the composition of the executive board.

Cojuangco said they also plan to file a bill that would elevate the PSC to a level that its chairman would be entitled to attend Cabinet meetings in order to maintain a permanent link with Malacañang.