PASA polls above board, says POC

MANILA, Philippines - The Amateur Swimming Association of the Philippines, which is neither a member of the Philippine Olympic Committee nor the Philippine Aquatic Sports Association, has no right to question the results of the recent PASA elections where Mark Joseph earned a new four-year mandate along with members of the board.

This was the stand taken by the POC yesterday after ASAP, led by Atty. Ma. Luz Arzaga Mendoza, questioned the Olympic body’s move to sanction the PASA elections held last Saturday at the Mactan Shangri-La Hotel in Cebu as it claimed that the required 15-day notice for the said exercise was not served to all stakeholders.

Jose Romasanta, the POC spokesman, said otherwise, explaining that they wouldn’t have sent a representative, Corina Mojica, to the PASA elections if the group failed to comply with their requirements. He said POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. is awaiting the report from Mojica regarding the conduct and results of the elections.

Only if Mojica cites any inconsistency on the conduct of the election will the POC step in.

“I think the only one who could question the conduct of the affairs of an NSA (national sports association) are its recognized members themselves. The ASAP is not a member of the POC nor the PASA. The POC is not answerable to ASAP,” said Romasanta.

“I don’t think it’s fair for the POC to be accused of betraying the swimming community,” said the POC official who believes that the recent PASA elections were still part of the compromise between then former PASA chief Chito Ilagan and the sport’s stakeholders following a leadership dispute in 2005.

“They (ASAP) are not members of FINA (the world governing body in the sport), the POC or PASA. In just a few days, the international swimming world will recognize ASAP as an organization merely attempting to seize power over Philippine swimming,” said Joseph.

Romasanta said that if ASAP feels that it is the rightful swimming group in the country, all it has to do is call the attention of FINA and get its recognition. Joseph , however, cited yesterday an article that came out of the FINA’s World Swimming Coaches Association newsletter.

The article took notice of the recent PASA elections where Joseph was named president; Luisito Mangahis as vice president; former swimming champion Ral Rosario as secretary; Christian Inigo as executive director; and Philippine Sports Commission commissioner and swimming champion Akiko Thomson Guevarra as treasurer.

“The elections raised further protests from splinter group, the Aquatic Sports Association of the Philippines,” said the FINA newsletter.

“For the past year or two ASAP appears to be attempting to wrest control of the national federation away from PASA and/or Mark Joseph. ASAP was formed by a faction within PASA as an alternative association for swimming in the country. However, it operates separate membership and competitions from PASA,” it said.