Vargas to convene Executive Board

MANILA, Philippines — POC president Ricky Vargas will face a belligerent majority in the Executive Board when he calls for the regular monthly meeting on June 13, three days after PHISGOC chairman Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano hosts a no-holds-barred discussion to address issues raised by certain NSA presidents on the preparations for the coming SEA Games.

The Executive Board is made up of chairman Rep. Bambol Tolentino, Vargas, first vice president Joey Romasanta, second vice president Tony Tamayo, secretary-general Patrick Gregorio, deputy secretary-general Karen Caballero, treasurer Julian Camacho, auditor Jonne Go and members Clint Aranas, Cynthia Carrion, Robert Mananquil, Rep. Butch Pichay, IOC member Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, IOC honorary member Frank Elizalde and immediate past POC president Jose Cojuangco, Jr. 

Romasanta, Go, Cojuangco, Camacho, Tamayo, Jaworski and Aranas signed a document directing Vargas to explain in writing within five days from notice “serious concerns” detailed in the minutes of a special Executive Board meeting.  They also demanded the termination of Caballero as deputy secretary-general and banning her to assume any position in the POC. 

Vargas said he has refused to be intimidated by the “tyranny of numbers” and ignored the ultimatum.  In the General Assembly meeting last Monday, he lashed out at his detractors for sowing disunity by “nit-picking, trivial ranting and destabilization.”

Tolentino said Vargas’ decision to withdraw the appointments of Romasanta as 2020 Tokyo Olympics chef de mission, squash NSA president Bob Bachmann as chairman of the POC membership committee, Cojuangco as chairman of the POC Constitutional amendments committee, Monsour del Rosario as SEA Games chef de mission and Charlie Ho as SEA Games deputy chef de mission is legal.  “Appointments require the approval of the Executive Board but the President may exercise his executive function to fire appointees without the confirmation of the Board,” he said.  “Mr. Vargas, however, will need the approval of the Board to confirm the permanent appointment of the replacements.”

Vargas appointed Tolentino to replace Romasanta, muay NSA president Gen. Lucas Managuelod to replace Bachmann, obstacle course NSA president Atty. Al Agra to replace Cojuangco and PSC chairman Butch Ramirez to replace Del Rosario, all on an interim basis.  Interim appointments do not require Board approval.

Vargas disclosed that a report from the POC external auditor confirmed irregularities traced to the previous administration and may be the subject of court cases for estafa, graft and malversation.  He cited cases where the POC granted an unauthorized loan of over P1 Million to the volleyball NSA that has not paid it back, a POC official received a per diem of $300 over 34 days for the Rio Olympics when the games were only for two weeks, the POC left an outstanding unliquidated amount of $23,963 from a grant by Olympic Solidarity and an NSA president receiving payment for sports supplies he requested from the PSC but which his company distributes.

Vargas said he initially tried to reach out to officials from the previous administration and even welcomed Cojuangco to the Executive Board.  When Cojuangco was POC president, he didn’t include Cito Dayrit in the Board despite a provision that the immediate past president should be a member.  Cojuangco was even designated chairman of the Constitutional amendments committee.  “I wanted to highlight my sincere desire to promote inclusivity and harmony in the POC, starting from the top and hopefully, let it trickle down to the NSAs and to our athletes,” said Vargas.  But when the back-stabbing and political maneuvering got out of hand, Vargas put his foot down.

Vargas affirmed Caballero’s appointment and rejected the move to oust her “for no coherent reason.”  Caballero has apparently incurred the ire of certain POC officials because of her assignment to probe the irregularities pointed out by the audit report.  From the limited POC records that Vargas found when he took over, he said there were “disturbing and strange entries.”