On Peping Cojuangco and Philippine sports officials

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BOBBY MOTUS
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
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THERE is no point in wondering why Philippine sports is drowning in the quicksand of mediocrity. Check the length of “service” of officials who had their butts super glued to their seats. These senile pseudo sportsmen’s tenure is older than most of the athletes on the national pool and their oligarchy geriatric ideas have long spelled doom to our athletes.

February 23 was the scheduled election for the president and chairman of Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and, by now, we could have a new POC president – or the same wrinkled and recycled one. As per collated reports, strong chance that the incumbents had ran unopposed as their rivals faced similar issues that disqualified them the last time. Further, the election committee is still peopled by the same species that barred them from running the last time. I will spare you the details of the election controversy that had the courts of law involved.

(Ricky Vargas has won a court-ordered election for POC president, unseating Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. – Ed.)

Considering his years of desperately hanging on to the POC presidency, Peping Cojuangco had already gained an almost god-like allegiance from most of the National Sports Association (NSA) heads. They probably also received considerable favors from him that it would be unwise to go and have a rebellion.

Sports is Cojuangco’s new playground and he is happily enjoying the perks – allowances, travels, dinners, whatever. He had long lost his relevance in the political arena that he has found a new love where he is considered king. Never mind if, during his tenure, Philippine sports had gone from moderately bad to ridiculously morbid.

Prior to the election, a kind of “extraordinary” meeting was held at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club specifically to approve the holding of the special election. It was a closed-door POC general assembly with the 40-plus heads of NSAs present. It was so tightly closed that Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioners Mon Fernandez, Arnold Agustin, Celia Kiram, and Charles Maxey were barred.

PSC chairman William Ramirez sent these officials to observe proceedings but they were shut out. These oldies but not goodies are so calloused without even thinking that they get their funding from the PSC.

POC loudspeaker Prospero Pichay said they were allowed to observe but outside of the venue of the assembly. Is the spokesperson under medication? How can one be an observer if you’re out of the venue you’re supposed to be observing? They barred the PSC officials because “we are just protecting the integrity of the POC.” Big freaking deal! What integrity are they talking about when they can’t even give a simple liquidation of the millions of pesos given to them the past few years? Manipulating and maneuvering for perpetuation in office speaks of goodness and incorruptibility on their part?

Pichay also added that the PSC presence might be a sign of government intervention. It is damn high time that the government step in and intervene because money comes from public coffers and only a few misguided souls had benefited from it.

A country’s sporting body should be populated with former athletes who had experienced the pain and hardships of training, the frustration of defeat and the ecstasy of victory. They know what exactly is needed for the development and sustainability of the athlete and the sport. What we have now are political has-beens who had found a lucrative institution where the only development and sustainability are for their own personal benefits.

It would be surprising – no, completely miraculous – if Peping gets defeated or steps down from the POC. Until then, the PSC should start picking which NSA will get full funding and chose which athletes to support directly who happen to belong to questionable NSAs. This will avoid disbursement of resources that would put to shame the world’s best magicians./PN
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