Patafa chief named to IAAF values body

MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Philip Ella Juico, president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) was appointed recently as one of 10 members of the Values Commission of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the highest governing body of athletics.

Juico’s appointment follows his election in June 2015 as vice president of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) in Wuhan, China during the AAA council meeting.

The designation of Juico as a member of the values commission marks the first time a Filipino has occupied such an important position in the IAAF since the PATAFA joined the international federation in 1973.  The IAAF was established in 1912 and has in its fold 160 member-federations, to date.

The values commission is one of four new Commissions established at the initiative of IAAF president Sebastian Coe of the United Kingdom.  The four new Commissions join six others in “assisting in the delivery of a fundamental program of change to the sport’s global administration.”

In appointing commission chairs and members, Coe commented, “the commission chairs draw upon the vast array of experience and expertise from across the globe, from within and outside the athletics family, and their combined knowledge will be an important resource to build a modern sport which is open to new ideas and is fast and responsive to the challenges which lie ahead.”

In drawing up the terms of reference of the values commission, the IAAF stated that “Athletics like many sports in the modern age, faces challenges to its integrity and reputation including from betting, illegal betting/results fixing and national and age manipulation. Against this backdrop, it is imperative that the IAAF does all in its powers to help educate, support and protect athletes and coaches from these dangers and create a more effective moral framework across the athletics family, with a specific focus on supporting and educating young and emerging athletes.”

The IAAF added that in response to these challenges, it was seen fit “to create a powerful IAAF values commission comprising of world-leading experts in integrity, security, anti-doping and ethics as well as respected current and former athletes and coaches. “ The commission members include, among others,  educators, anti-doping experts,  respected coaches and high profile, respected current and former athletes.

The chairman of the commission is Bernard Amsalem from France.  Amsalem has been president of the French Athletics Federation since 2001. He was vice president of the French Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2009 and led the French delegation to the 2012 London Olympics.

Reports show that American sprinter Michael Johnson was tapped to be vice chairman of the commission. Johnson holds the world and Olympic records in the 400m. Johnson is noted for, among other things, being the only male athlete to win both the 200m and 400m in the same Olympics. Other countries represented in the commission are Oman, Germany, Ghana, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Cuba (through Alberto Juantorena, so far the only athlete to win both the 400m and 800m in the Olympics), Estonia, Australia, Pakistan and the Philippines, through Juico.

Juico served as Secretary of Agrarian Reform from 1987 to 1989 during the presidency of Corazon C. Aquino and chairman from 1995 to 1998 of the Philippine Sports Commission during the administration of Fidel V. Ramos. Juico, who was elected President of PATAFA in November 2014, was Dean of the De La Salle University Ramon V. del Rosario Sr Graduate School of Business from 2002 to 2008. He graduated from De La Salle University (DLSU) in 1970 with degrees in Liberal Arts and Commerce. He obtained his MBA from the Asian Institute of Management in 1973 and his Doctorate in Business Administration from DLSU in 2008. Juico is also chairman of the Philippines Super Liga. He was accorded the TOYM award for government service in 1987.