BY a vote of 36 in favor, five against, and three abstentions, the Philippine Olympic Committee general assembly yesterday ratified the POC Executive Board’s decision to declare athletics chief Philip Ella Juico persona non grata.
Aside from Juico, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president, the others who opposed the move were wushu chief Freddie Jalasco, squash head Robert Bachmann, weightlifting head Monico Puentevella, and handball’s Jonne Go.
According to POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, those who abstained were International Olympic Committee Executive Board member Mikee Cojuangco and the representatives of dancesport and netball.
Tolentino, who presided over the meeting, said there were seven NSAs that “did not participate” and did not cast their vote, although archery chief Atty. Clint Aranas, who is currently in Bacolod, said he voted “no” against the board resolution.
Tolentino said that among those who voted for the resolution were Tokyo Olympic Games gold medalist Hidily Diaz and swimmer Jessie Khing Lacuna, who are members of the POC Athletes’ Commission.
Tolentino explained that with the move, the local Olympic body will no longer recognize Juico and bar him from involvement in POC activities and deliberations.
Tolentino said the assembly upheld the decision of the POC board last Dec. 28 based on the complaint of harassment filed against Juico by pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena with the POC Ethics Committee on Nov. 18.
Juico claimed the process to declare him persona non grata was “railroaded.”
“Again, there was no due process because there was no division of the house,” Juico said of the meeting that was held behind closed doors.
“Instead, the POC claimed that a pre-circulated resolution was signed by 36 POC members who affixed their signatures without any resolution having been presented during the General Assembly for voting,” Juico said.
Cojuangco-Jaworski corroborated the athletic head’s statement, saying: “Nope! I didn’t even know such a thing existed until the meeting.”
Juico pointed out that the POC notice of Jan. 2 regarding the general assembly meeting “clearly stated that ‘the matter will be reported and taken up during the Regular Assembly,’ which was rescheduled today.
Despite this, Juico, a former Philippine Sports Commission chairman said that “ I may now be persona non grata in the eyes of the POC, but this will not distract us in our quest for truth, accountability, transparency and justice in our federation.
“If this is the price I have to pay for holding my athlete (pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena) accountable, so be it. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I will step out of the POC with my head held high.”
The Italy-based Obiena sought the POC’s assistance after the Patafa ordered him to return 85,000 euros (roughly P5 million) allegedly in unpaid salaries to his coach, Vitaly Petrov, from 2018 to 2021 from Philippine Sports Commission funds given to him directly.
When Puentevella reminded Tolentino about the fiasco in the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games that resulted in the national cycling team being barred from competing, the POC head said the scenario is now different.
“During that time there two cycling groups involved, and here we only have one led by Juico,” said Tolentino.
Tolentino stressed that the POC had not expelled Patafa from the POC, adding only Juico was involved in the decision.
“I am not angry against Juico. We (POC) just don’t recognize him. The Patafa can still exercise its day-to-day functions,” he said.
