Philippine Sports Commission: It’s time to bite the bullet

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez is fed up with the divisiveness within the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and among the different national sports associations (NSAs) that receive funding from the government sports agency.

Yesterday, he threatened to cut all government funding to the POC and the NSAs if they don’t put their act together.

“They should resolve the crisis. If not, the government will stop funding if they continue to be divided,” said Ramirez in a statement released to the press.

“It will affect everybody. It will affect our training, it will affect our preparations for the Asian Games, the Southeast Asian Games and the Olympics,” he said.

The government spends close to P900 million a year on sports, and Ramirez said the funding will stop if the bickerings don’t.

Ramirez said it’s time to bite the bullet.

“It has no place in a democratic society and should not be tolerated,” he said as POC president Jose Cojuangco remain under fire from a group seeking a change in leadership.

On Monday, the POC General Assembly will convene. It is expected to be an explosive affair, one that may decide the fate of Cojuangco.

Boxing chief Ricky Vargas is determined to take over the POC, and institute changes which, he said, will benefit national athletes and the plans and programs of the more than 40 NSAs.

Ramirez said the PSC has watched from the sidelines as sports leaders immersed themselves in leadership disputes and controversies that affect the morale of the national athletes.