The Philippine Olympic Committee is forming an independent arbitration body that will tackle leadership conflicts bugging national sports associations.
POC president Ricky Vargas said they are now doing this following his talks with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach during his visit to Switzerland last month.
“He asked me to put up an arbitration process in the POC. In the process, you have to have an independent body. And he encouraged us and all NSAs to go through the process before going to the courts, or any government arbitration process,” said Vargas during a recent meeting of the POC General Assembly.
Vargas said Bach has discouraged NSAs from addressing their issues in court and instead seek arbitration from within the POC.
“We will look seriously into this. And we can do that,” added Vargas.
The POC is now tapping the associates of their legal counsel Alberto Agra at the Ateneo Law School.
So far, lawyer Eric Ingles and his son Mickey are working together to form a new POC arbitration panel.