JUICO OPISYAL NA IDINEKLARANG PERSONA NON GRATA NG POC

NIRATIPIKAHAN ng Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) ang naunang desisyon ng executive board laban kay Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) President Philip Ella Juico, na opisyal na nagdedeklara sa kanya bilang persona non grata sa first General Assembly ngayong taon nitong Miyerkoles sa Grandmaster Hotel sa Tagaytay City.

May 54 regular national sports associations (NSAs) ang dumalo sa GA at  36 ang bumoto ng “yes”, kabilang sina athletes’ commission member at Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz ng weightlifting at swimmer Jessie Lacuna sa pagdedeklara kay Juico bilang persona non grata.

Kinatigan nila ang desisyon ng executive board sa reklamong inihain ni Olympic pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena laban kay Juico dahil sa pangha-harass umano sa world-class Filipino athlete nang magpahayag ng malisyosong akusasyon laban sa kanya noong nakaraang  November.

Labing-isang NSAs ang “walang boto”, ibig sabihin ay hindi sila pumirma sa notion, habang limang NSAs — weightlifting wushu, squash, athletics  at  hockey ang tumutol sa  motion.

Tatlong iba pa —International Olympic Committee Representative to the Philippines Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski, dancesports at netball—ang nag-abstain.

“We are just following the procedure and there’s nothing personal here against Mr. Juico, and anytime EJ [Obiena] and Juico agreed or EJ withdraws his complaint, the GA can revisit the executive board’s decision,” pahayag ni POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino sa online news conference matapos ang GA.

Iginiit ni Tolentino na mananatiling athletics president si Juico  “for other matters but no longer recognized by the POC,” at nilinaw na maaari pang mag-function ang Patafa bilang  NSA sa ilalim ng national Olympic committee.”

“He is still the Patafa president for other matters without recognizing him, but they still have their vice president and secretary general who can attend POC activities,” ani Tolentino, at idinagdag na hindi kailangan ng GA ng full majority vote dahil nila sinususpinde o sinisibak si Juico bilang Patafa president.

“We do not need a ¾ or 2/3 vote because we’re not ousting and suspending him as president. We are only declaring him as persona non grata but still, 36 is 2/3 votes of the POC,”  paliwanag niya.