POC ASSEMBLY DECIDES FATE OF JUICO TODAY

Sustained or overruled?

The fate of Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) president will be decided on Wednesday by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), which convenes its general assembly (GA) to discuss, among others, the controversy also involving pole vault star EJ Obiena.

Obiena’s own reckoning was stalled by the Olympian’s decision to pull out of a mediation process called by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). “EJ has said that he will not enter mediation. On the part of the POC, we have a scheduled GA [today] and [the decision on Juico] will be on the agenda,’’ POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said.

Juico could not be reached for comment. Whatever decision the general assembly reaches will have huge implications in the coming days, and a simple majority from among the 52 national sports associations could create a complicated struggle for the Patafa’s leadership. The POC’s ethics committee probed the issue between the Patafa and Obiena, at the heart of which lies alleged falsification of documents and misappropriated funds, and found that Juico mishandled the controversy.

The committee declared Juico persona non grata in a decision signed by rowing president Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, the committee chair. The decision also recommended that the POC no longer recognize Juico as Patafa president and will only deal with the federation’s head when a new one is elected.

“Since [the ethics committee’s recommendation] was passed by the [POC] executive board, the GA will ratify or overrule the decision [to declare Juico persona non grata].’’

The GA is expected to end a ceasefire that halted public verbal sniping from opposite sides of the controversy. The PSC had earlier asked everyone involved in the row to refrain from making public statements on the issue as it had planned to settle things quietly at the negotiation table. But with mediation out of the picture, the POC will take the lead in attempting to settle the controversy.

The PSC, sources said, will refocus its energies into scrutinizing the liquidation reports along with the Commission on Audit.

The PSC had hired an independent body, the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center to resolve their long-running feud triggered when the Tokyo Olympian reportedly failed to pay the salaries of his Ukranian coach, Vitaly Petrov, on time despite allegedly claiming in his reports that he did so.

Despite the promise of an impartial peacemaking process, Obiena begged off for good, charging his mother federation of manipulating the facts and heading into mediation in “bad faith.’’ Before officially ending mediation hopes, Obiena had said he was only postponing his participation in anticipation of competing in international meets.

“We can do nothing about it. We have to respect EJ’s decision. I believe his tournaments will go full blast on Jan. 28 and it would be difficult to disturb his busy schedule,’’ said Tolentino, who convened the POC’s ethics committee to look into a complaint filed by Obiena for “harassment.”

“The GA has to continue the process, unless the complainant withdraws his complaint,’’ said Tolentino.

Once the GA sustains the resolution of the executive board, Juico will be barred from attending all POC functions. The Patafa, however, can still do its daily businesses with the POC despite the ban on Juico.