Magnanimity, but justice also

Now that amateur boxing head Ricky Vargas has formally unseated Peping Cojuangco as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, there should be an end to the acrimony between both sides. The final stroke to settle matters before the voting was the POC Comelec’s allowing Vargas and Rep. Bambol Tolentino to run for president and chairman, respectively. Then, the numbers spoke for themselves, and many national sports association heads, and athletes heaved a collective sigh of relief that change had indeed come to Philippine sports. There is a lot of work to be done, and it will need continued, collective effort to accomplish everything.

There should be no more energy spent attacking the side that lost. That is clear. The battle is over, despite Cojuangco’s mixed announcement that he accepts what happened, but will still make an inquiry with the International Olympic Committee about the Pasig RTC ruling that led to his ouster. He will be given rightful recognition for the position he once held, even if some of the accomplishments he praises himself for were also a collective effort, or actually the work of others. We respect those who were once in power, because they invariably lead us to where we are, even if it is merely by dint of just being there.

Having said that, there must also be justice, a thorough process of cleaning house. This is what will show the public that the new POC leadership is bent on progress. The old school, old boys’ club way of running sports simply will not work anymore, and it is time for reckoning. Too much has gone on for too long, and Philippine sports has lost too much.

First, POC members must comply with the requirements of the Philippine Sports Commission. Each national sports association must submit clear liquidation of public funds disbursed to them. They must also turn in clear programs and calendars for competition. This is part of the process of professionalizing the management of each sport.

Next, there must be a way to stop the practice of having one person run more than one NSA. It simply isn’t done, and we all know that it was primarily to increase the control and voting power of Cojuangco allies. Enough of that. We have more than enough younger, well-trained professional managers. It is their time. Staying in power beyond your optimal ability is an ego trip, and it must end. This has hampered the proper selection of national athletes so laughably, that it’s tragic.

Also, the issue of funds improperly taken from our athletes in international competition must be addressed. Our Olympians were given money by Olympic Solidarity, and it is theirs. The accusation of seven karatekas that funds were stolen from them must also be taken very seriously. Misused funds given directly to the POC for specific projects must be accounted for. In all those cases, the ones responsible must be punished. It is the only way to clean the slate. Tabula rasa.

There are also controversies that must be untangled, too. The previous dispensation’s unsubstantiated insistence that the IOC demanded that dragonboat be run by the canoe-kayak federation split the national team in two, and is pure nonsense. The inactivity of certain sports like arnis (and subsequently, the propriety and validity of Miguel Zubiri’s new group as a replacement), must be studied. Non-performing POC members should be replaced by more active, vibrant organizations. New sports that were previously wary of joining because they were not recognized like bodybuilding and tchoukball, should now apply for membership.

Then there is the matter of the 2019 SEA Games. Vargas is now the de facto head of the SEA Games Federation, and very little has been done regarding the hosting. This writer has repeatedly detailed what needs to be done, so there’s no need – or space – to repeat it here. 

The greatest tragedy, however, the theft that cannot ever be repaid, is the lost opportunity of dozens of athletes over the years who were not allowed to compete simply due to politics. From sports as varied as swimming to ice skating, many of our brightest stars saw their greatest chances pass them by, as they were unjustly denied the right to represent the country. This writer got a taste of that in 2005, by being banned from the TV coverage of the Philippine SEA Games for writing against the powers that were.

Those hurts can never be healed. They have to be forgiven without the benefit of recompense.