it’s Getting Hot in P.o.c. Kitchen
POLITICAL lines started appearing in the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) horizon with seven members of the POC Executive Board who thumbed down proposed amendments to the body’s constitution resented being called “The Group of Seven” or “Magnificent Seven.”
Archery association president Clint Aranas said the brand creates “divisiveness” in the POC, adding his group at the Executive Board “were very cooperative.”
“I was really surprised during the meeting. We were labeled as ‘magnificent seven.’ But if you look at the details of the meetings, we were very cooperative,” Aranas said.
Aranas said labelling them as a renegade group is “unfair” as they responded to the meetings called by the POC leadership.
POC President Rep. Abraham Tolentino, through committee on constitutional amendment head Ricky Vargas, proposed to set an age limit of 70 for the organization’s and those of the national sports association officials.
But this was opposed by Aranas and six others—poc Chairman Steve Hontiveros, First Vice President Jose Romasanta, Second Vice
President Jeff Tamayo, Treasurer Julian Camacho, Auditor Jonne Go and member Robert Mananquil.
Tolentino didn’t get the two-third votes from the board—or nine out of 13—for the proposed amendments that also included a provision abolishing the position of chairman and another that bars an individual from holding more than one sensitive position in the POC and NSAS.
“We are thinking differently,” Aranas told an online press conference that his group called on Monday. Joining Aranas in the virtual presser were Romasanta, Camacho, Go and Mananquil.
Aranas and Mananquil said setting an age cap of 70 is not viable. They said the likes of Robert Aventajado of taekwondo, Monico Fuentevella of weightlifting, Philip Ella Juico of athletics, Chavit Singson of shooting and Ernesto Echauz of sailing are beyond 70 but remained effective in their tasks.