The timing to effect changes in the Philippine Olympic Committee’s constitution and bylaws is not right.
If any revisions are to take effect, it should be next year.
POC first vice president Joey Romasanta said this after last week’s executive board meeting ended in a stalemate.
Speaking during an online press conference via Zoom on Monday, Romasanta said the plan to set an age limit of 70 for POC positions can still be possible.
But this has to happen at the right moment.
“I was an against an age cap. But not really because I was against it. Puwede naman iyan. But the problem is mali ang timing,” said Romasanta.
Romasanta believes that this amendment should not take effect when an election is supposed to happen in the coming months.
“Mag-eeleksiyon tapos magdi-disqualify ng puwedeng maging kandidato,” observed Romasanta.
He believes that any amendments at this time, when an election takes place by November, should be covered by transitory provisions.
“It should be effective in the next election and not now,” he went on.
For the meantime, talks on changes in the Philippine Olympic Committee’s constitution and bylaws continue.
And before any amendments can be taken up in the General Assembly, all the proposals that were rejected will have to be brought before the International Olympic Committee, according to board member Robert Mananquil.
POC board member Clint Aranas of archery and auditor Jonee Go of canoe-kayak were around with wushu’s Julian Camacho, Charlie Ho and Robert Bachmann of squash during the online discussion.
Many of those who attended the online conference said they were wrongly branded as members of the “Group of 7.”
They said it was a mislabelling of the officials of the meeting since not everyone in the “Group of 7” were not in agreement in many provisions that were tackled.
Aranas said that politics should not be the reason for rejecting a senior board member’s bid to seek post in the POC.
“Ayoko ng age cap kasi, this should be about mental capacity, competence and integrity, and not politics,” explained Aranas.
The president of World Archery Philippines again cited their national sports association as an example.
He said that they have a senior citizen on the board like Jun Sevilla, whom they put in their board out of respect and his capabilities.
It is his belief that senior citizens should not be discriminated upon in the POC family.
