REP. Rufus Rodriguez will be tapped by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association as its representative during the Philippine Olympic Committee general assembly meeting on July 30 that will decide on the suspension of the local track body.
“Congressman Rodriguez has been a longtime sportsman and has a complete grasp of the issues. He will be an articulate advocate of our stand in the POC general assembly,” a Patafa source, who declined to be identified, said yesterday. “He is in the best position to explain them with the POC regular members.”
Athletics chief Philip Ella Juico cannot represent Patafa since he was declared persona non grata by the general assembly last January due to the harassment complaint that pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena filed against him with the POC Ethics Committee.
Last March 27, the POC Executive Board decided to suspend the Patafa, together with the Philippine Tennis Association, in the wake of its decision not to endorse Obiena to the recent world indoor championships in Belgrade, Serbia and the Vietnam Southeast Asian in May.
But the board move is not final and executory unless two-thirds of the POC regular members ratify it, based on the provisions of the POC constitution and by-laws.
Obiena’s request to Patafa last Feb. 24 to be accredited to the two meets and two other events — the world championships in July and Hangzhou Asian Games in September — was declined.
National training director Renato Unso, also the NCR regional director, wrote to Obiena explaining his request cannot be acted upon pending the result of the mediation process supervised by the Philippine Sports Commission between him and the association that is currently ongoing.
Among those who abstained in the POC board’s decision was POC treasurer and gymnastics chief Cynthia Carrion, who said in an online press conference organized by Patafa last Wednesday that this move would be setting “a dangerous precedent.”
POC Chairman Steve Hontiveros, weightlifting chief Monico Puentevella, squash head Robert Bachmann and Frank Elizalde, the former International Olympic Committee representative to the Philippines, also voiced their concerns over the POC board’s action to suspend Patafa, which remains in good standing with World Athletics.
