Philippine Athletics Observe and Subject Affiliation (PATAFA) president Philip Ella “Popoy” Juico aired his frustration on the choice of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to tag him as persona non grata over his rift with pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
On Wednesday, the POC Common Meeting formally ratified the sooner resolution of its govt board to not acknowledge Juico because the athletics physique chief.
Juico mentioned, nevertheless, that the POC didn’t give any probability for the GA to confirm the decision.
“The method was railroaded. Once more, there was no due course of as a result of there was no division of the home,” the embattled chief mentioned in an announcement.
“POC claimed {that a} pre-circulated decision was signed by 36 POC members who affixed their signatures WITHOUT ANY decision having offered throughout the Common Meeting for voting and neither I nor a number of different POC members acquired this decision as the identical decision to be voted on throughout the Common Meeting,” he added.
Juico mentioned that the event won’t hinder the PATAFA’s efforts to uncover the reality behind the alleged misuse of funds of the world no. 5 Obiena, which largely concerned the salaries of his coach, Vitaly Petrov.
“I could now be persona non grata within the eyes of the POC, however this won’t distract us in our quest for fact, accountability, transparency and justice in our federation,” he mentioned.
“If that is the worth I’ve to pay for holding my athlete accountable, so be it. I’ve nothing to be ashamed of. I’ll step out of the POC with my head held excessive,” he added.
In a earlier interview, Juico mentioned he’ll contest the choice as “POC ordered a decision of a problem that’s not inside their jurisdiction, saying the matter is an “intra-NSA subject and must be resolved first inside the PATAFA.”
The POC clarified, nevertheless, that Juico will stay because the PATAFA president as he was not ousted or suspended from his place.
—MGP, GMA Information