IOC orders POC: clarify, rectify

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Olympic Committee will now have to fill up its vacant elective positions, including the presidency, as the International Olympic Committee and Olympic Council of Asia made sure it would watch the developments with interest, and make sure everything’s done accordingly.

This as a “concerned” IOC and OCA, in a letter to the POC board dated June 29, set guidelines for the Phl Olympic body as it addresses and resolves the leadership issues following the resignation of president Ricky Vargas and other board members.

IOC director of Olympic Solidarity and NOC relations James Macleod and Olympic Council of Asia director general and technical director Hussain Al-Musallam asked the POC to  “clarify the situation” and provide the formal letters of resignation of those who resigned.

Once done, the POC can convene an extraordinary general assembly “to address the current situation and take appropriate decisions to fill any vacancy in accordance with POC constitution.”  Both the IOC and the OCA said they will send an observer to the assembly.

“In the meantime, the POC should not take any further unilateral decision/action without prior consultation with the IOC and OCA,” they stressed. 

“We look forward to receiving very quickly clear and official information (on the resignations)...we request that the POC coordinate with both IOC and OCA any further step to make sure that due process is followed in accordance to POC and Olympic charters, failing which the IOC will reserve the right to take any approprate action vis a vis the POC,” they said.

With this development, the POC’s planned elections on July 5 will likely not materialize.

“As the far as the board is concerned, we want to hold the elections as soon as we can but in compliance with the IOC guidelines,” said deputy secretary general Charlie Ho yesterday after the board met to discuss the IOC letter.

The board – first vice president Joey Romasanta, second VP Jeff Tamayo, treasurer Julian Camacho, auditor Jonne Go, Ho, deputy sec-gen Robert Bachmann, board members Butch Pichay and Robert Mananquil, immediate past president Peping Cojuangco and IOC representative Mikee Cojuangco – passed a resolution to follow the IOC directive. Chairman Bambol Tolentino, who called for the July 5 elections, was absent during the meeting but was briefed on the IOC letter.

“Number one, we have to determine the vacancies and only expressed written resignation will be accepted,” said Ho.

To date, only Vargas and two board members, Cynthia Carrion and Clint Aranas,  have formally stepped down while the rest, who verbally committed to vacate their post during an informal meeting by the POC membership last June 25, have yet to do so or won’t resign after all.

Ho said they’re giving execs who wish to resign until Friday to formally do so.

“After this, any move or plan we make, we will submit to the IOC for approval. And the IOC said any GA or election to be held, they have to observe and that has to be complied with for the elections to be valid,” said Ho.

The POC has hugged the headlines for the wrong reasons and the international bodies have taken notice.

“The recurrent internal and personal disputes have been affecting the POC’s reputation in the country and internationally and have also created a very unstable situation which has a negative impact on the Olympic Movement as a whole in the Philippines and in particular on the preparations for the forthcoming international sports events, including the Tokyo Olympics,” Macleod and Al-Musallam said.

“We sincerely hope that the current situation can soon be clarified and rectified so that the POC can really focus on its mission and activities in the interest of the Olympic Movement and the athletes in Phl,” they added.