WEIGHTLIFTING president and former lawmaker Monico Puentevella yesterday warned the Senate, led by Sen. Pia Cayetano, that it was treading on “dangerous ground” by citing the Philippine Athletics and Track Field Association and Patafa President Philip Ella Juico in contempt.
Backed by Senate President Tito Sotto, Senators Francis Tolentino, the brother of Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, and Panfilo Lacson, Cayetano announced last Wednesday that she filed a petition to cite Patafa and its president in contempt.
She claimed that Patafa had violated the Senate Committee on Sports “order” that the differences between Patafa and estranged pole vaulter EJ Obiena be settled amicably through mediation by the Philippine Sports Commission in its hearing last Feb. 7.
Cayetano said Juico acted “on bad faith” when he lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland that his declaration as a persona non grata by the Philippine Olympic Committee be lifted.
“Senator, please be careful. You are trekking on very dangerous ground. You may not know the consequences if this thing blows up. If this reaches the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and is construed as government intervention, we’ll be in serious trouble,” Puentevella warned.
“You are putting our (POC) standing with the IOC at risk and endangering our participation in the SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympics,” noted the former congressman from Bacolod.
