POC: Polls will settle cycling row

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Olympic Committee yesterday urged the two factions within the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines or Philcycling to finally settle the leadership dispute by calling for an election.

Jose Cojuangco Jr., the POC president, said it’s time for the two groups, one headed by Tagaytay City Mayor Bambol Tolentino and the other by ex-Philippine Sports Commission chairman Philip “Popoy” Juico, to take the final step toward peace in their sport.

Juico was very recently named president of the other group that used to be under Col. Arnulfo Taberdo. Before them, the group also had businessman Rolando Hizo and Mikee Romero as its head, all in a span of more than a year.

The two groups have recently agreed to hold a unified tryout to select the riders who will represent the Philippines in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in November, but have yet to decide or finally settle their leadership dispute.

“Since they have agreed on the unified trials, why don’t they fix the problem once and for all,” said Cojuangco.

The POC chief said he talked to Juico the other day and told the former secretary of Agrarian Reforms under the Cory Aquino government that he is the fourth person to assume the leadership of the same group in just over a year.

“It might not sound good. It’s like the case of basketball before,” said Cojuangco who did not actually say if he tried to dissuade Juico, who is very close to the Aquino family, from accepting the leadership of the other cycling group.

Cojuangco used to support the group when it was under Romero while Tolentino enjoyed the blessings of then PSC chairman Harry Angping. But sources said the POC chief and the Tagaytay City mayor recently came to terms.

Tolentino’s brother, Francis Tolentino, was recently appointed by President Aquino as head of the Metro Manila Development Authority or MMDA.

Jose Romasanta, chef-de-mission of the RP Team to Guangzhou, said an election to be participated in by members of both groups should put an end to the cycling woes that cost the country its participation in the 2009 SEA Games in Laos.

“Just call for an orderly election. What’s happening now is both groups are tinkering with their by-laws. And they should end this practice of just replacing the president by a mere board resolution. If you look at the by-laws, there’s rule on succession if the president is removed,” said Romasanta.

“They even asked me to let Mr. Cojuangco stand in between them. But I told them to come up with an agreement first, settle the issue first, before we let the POC president in. I told them to fix the problem and everything will follow,” he said.