THE Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association has found an important and critical ally, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, in its row with pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena.
Coe, in a letter to the Patafa last Feb. 10, said: “As previously stated, we consider this (issue with Obiena) an internal matter, and in line with the approach taken, we encourage all disputes of a Member Federation to be resolved in accordance with stated processes and procedures for resolving disputes in a Member Federation’s Constitution or applicable rules and regulations and that these a run fairly for all concerned.”
The letter was in response to the Patafa letter regarding the controversy addressed to Coe last Jan. 28.
The letter, addressed to Patafa President Philip Ella Juico, said the Patafa “is a member of World Athletics and as such is the sole governing body of athletics in the Philippines.”
Coe’s letter cited Article 9 of the World Athletics constitution regarding the obligations of member federations for “administering, promoting and developing athletics in the Philippines in the accordance with World Athletics; and democratically electing or appointing its officers and executive body.”
The letter confirmed that Patafa was a member of good standing of the World Athletics and that “Patafa has fulfilled its obligations of World Athletics membership in 2021.
The World Athletics correspondence also noted that “the outcome of the last Patafa elective assembly General Assembly held on 10 November 2021 was that Dr. Philip Ella Juico was elected as President. Dr. Philip Juico was the voting delegate of the Philippines Member Federation at the World Athletics Congress held on 17-18 November 2021.
