Steve to pursue synchronization

POC secretary-general Steve Hontiveros said yesterday he will push for the synchronization of elections in National Sports Associations (NSAs) to immediately precede the voting of the POC Executive Board and called for a moratorium on politicking while trying to repair the fractious system.

Hontiveros admitted there may be a flaw in a POC official serving without an NSA mandate but argued against resignation because after all, a term must be respected.

Under the POC Constitution and By-Laws, only an NSA president may run for POC chairman or president. All other POC positions in the Executive Board are open to an NSA president, vice president or secretary-general.

In the course of serving a four-year term in the POC, it’s possible that an officer may lose his NSA mandate. That can happen because the elections in the NSAs and POC are not synchronized. In the case of Gen. Rene Cruz, he was voted to serve a four-year term as POC president in 1992 with his eligibility affirmed as Philippine Badminton Association president. But while serving as POC president, he lost the badminton presidency to Mrs. Amelita Ramos yet went on to finish his term until it expired.

My opinion is POC officials without an NSA mandate should voluntarily resign out of delicadeza. But technically, they’re not required to. It’s an irregularity, if not an anomaly, that a POC official continues to serve without an NSA mandate because he was voted in as a representative of an NSA. If the POC official no longer has the NSA mandate, what moral basis can he cite to continue serving in a POC capacity?

Hontiveros clarified that in his case, he is justified to stay on as POC secretary-general despite ceding the Philippine Bowling Congress presidency to Mariano Tamayo.

“I was once the president of the World Bowling Federation and am a lifetime officer of the PBC,” said Hontiveros. “Besides, I was appointed POC secretary-general, not elected, and I will not abandon (POC president) Mr. (Jose) Cojuangco, especially now that there are leadership problems in several NSAs.”

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Hontiveros said he will personally propose the synchronization to avoid the “uneasy” situation of incumbent POC officials losing their NSA mandates.

“This isn’t a new proposal because during the term of Gov. (Jose) Sering, an attempt was made to synchronize the elections,” continued Hontiveros. “I remember NSA elections were held once a year so we tried to do it once in four years to synchronize with the POC term. But we never really pushed through with it.”

Hontiveros said he would discuss the ramifications of the proposal on the POC Constitution and By-Laws with legal counsel Ramon Malinao.

An example of an NSA with a synchronized election schedule is the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP). Manny Lopez was voted ABAP vice president before the POC elections and won as POC first vice president.

Hontiveros also said what is contributing to a tenuous situation in the POC is the lack of harmony with the PSC.

“We won’t move forward if the POC and PSC don’t see eye to eye,” he said. “They’ve got to be on the same frequency, the same wavelength. I’ve been quiet these past few months but I really must speak out now against politicking. It’s not doing anyone any good. I’m a prayerful person and I try to be patient. But there are limits to patience. The PSC chairman has been quoted as saying it’s anomalous for certain POC officials, like myself, to continue serving without an NSA mandate. My reaction is I challenge anyone to question my standing in bowling which is my NSA.”

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Meanwhile, Philippine National Shooting Association president Art Macapagal said trying to resolve NSA disputes from the viewpoint of personalities, rather than principles, will not contribute to long-term stability and unity in the POC family.

“The POC is an organization of peers primarily to promote the values of the Olympic movement,” he said. “NSA autonomy must be respected. Resolutions of NSA disputes are the responsibility of the NSAs first. This is recognized by the POC Constitution and By-Laws and even by Philippine law. The POC should step in only when NSAs fail to resolve the dispute, when elevated to it, through its power of arbitration.”

Macapagal said even in the arbitration process, certain rules and processes must be followed to ensure neutrality and impartiality.

“The IOC even advises the POC to consult and coordinate with the International Federations in the arbitration of disputes,” he went on. “Unfortunately, the POC Arbitration Commission, whose composition has not been made known to us, has not formalized the guidelines on dispute settlements, raising questions on the neutrality of the process.”

Macapagal said when he was asked to head the POC Ethics Commission, the first thing he did was to propose a POC Code of Ethics and the rules and regulations covering investigations of cases brought to its attention so there would be no question about jurisdiction and the process to be used in arriving at recommendations.

“The POC received a commendation for this initiative,” noted Macapagal.

Tomorrow, Macapagal will explain his position in proposing to suspend the resolution empowering the POC to act as final arbiter in NSA election disputes.