The Philippine Olympic Committee has withdrawn its recognition of Philip Ella Juico as president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association.
The decision was made after Juico was declared persona non grata on Tuesday by the POC Executive Board following a meeting at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Pasay City.
POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the board reached this verdict after they upheld the recommendations and findings of the Ethics Commission, which looked into the complaints of pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena.
“We do not recognize him (Juico) anymore as president of PATAFA,” said Tolentino.
Last month, Obiena filed a complaint against Juico, who questioned him regarding his liquidation paperworks concerning Ukrainian coach Vitaliy Petrov’s 85,000 euro funding allocation. The complaint was submitted before the Athletes Commission and Safe Sports Technical Working Group of the POC, while a similar one was sent to the International Olympic Committee.
Tolentino clarified that the POC will still recognize PATAFA as the national association for athletics and its other officials, like the vice president and the secretary-general, as both can still attend their meetings.
Obiena’s complaint on Juico centered on “alleged acts of harassment, attempts to collude with coaches to fabricate statements, coercing to solicit doctor-patient privileged communication.”
According to the seven-page resolution, Juico accused Obiena of squandering government funds that were intended for Petrov, and made the situation public without giving him an chance to clarify the issue.
The verdict on Juico came a day after the Philippine Sports Commission stepped back from mediation talks involving PATAFA and Obiena.
The PATAFA initially questioned Obiena after it received an affidavit from top World Athletics’ official Sergey Bubka and the written statements of Petrov alleging that he “did not receive any monthly coach’s fees for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.”
Obiena, in a message to Tolentino, thanked the POC for acting on his plight.
Eleven of the 15-member POC Executive Board approved the committee recommendation, which will be ratified by the General Assembly in its January meeting.
POC honorary president Ricky Vargas, first vice president Al Panlilo, second vice president Richard Gomez, treasurer Cynthia Carrion-Norton, auditor Joaquin Loyzaga and board members David Carter, Dr. Jose Raul Canlas and Pearl Managuelod favored the recommendation, along with Athletes’ Commission head Nikko Huelgas and Secretary General Edwin Gastanes.
Charlie Ho of netball and International Olympic Committee Representative to the Philippines Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski abstained.
Tolentino didn’t vote as he presided over the meeting in the absence of chairman Steve Hontiveros.
Tolentino assured the 26-year-old Obiena that he will represent the country in various overseas competitions in 2022, including the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi in May and the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in September.
“If PATAFA won’t endorse him, which I doubt they would, then we will,” Tolentino said.