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Cojuangco-Jaworski meets with IOC on possible POC charter change

By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno

July 28, 2020, 5:03 pm

<p>International Olympic Committee Executive Board member Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski <em>(PSA photo)</em></p>

International Olympic Committee Executive Board member Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski (PSA photo)

MANILA — Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski is currently meeting with the rest of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the latest developments within the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), one of which is the possible changes to its charter.

In the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday, the former equestrian champion and actress said that she has been meeting with IOC on a regular basis.

"Regularly naman kaming in touch especially with these amendments because priority talaga ng IOC ito and it was communicated noong nag-election before na talagang priority matter yung amendments ng constitution (We keep in touch regularly especially with these amendments because these are a priority of the IOC, and it was communicated during the election before that the amendments to the constitution are really a priority matter)," said Jaworski, who has been newly installed to the IOC's executive board.

The proposed tweaks to the POC charter have been the main topic within the agency recently.

"Marami nang mga developments in the Olympic movement that we would want to keep up, and there were a lot of issues na because of the interpretation of the by-laws, nagkaroon ng mga questions. So dapat naman talaga siyang ma-address (There are now many developments in the Olympic movement that we would want to keep up, and there were a lot of issues that because of the interpretation of the by-laws were questioned. So they should really be addressed)," Jaworski said.

Among the proposed changes include age limit to people vying for the POC presidency and one of the board members, requiring that they must not be older than 80 years old.

However, when the proposal was put to a vote in the POC board meeting on Friday, only four members, POC president Bambol Tolentino, immediate past president (IPP) Ricky Vargas, secretary general Ed Gastanes, and board member Robert Mananquil, said yes to the proposal.

Six others, Chairman Steve Hontiveros, First Vice President Joey Romasanta, Treasurer Julian Camacho, Auditor Jonne Go, and Board Members Clint Aranas and Cynthia Carrion, rejected the idea.

Cojuangco-Jaworski, the daughter of former POC president Peping Cojuangco, was among the three people who abstained from the vote, the others being Board Member Prospero Pichay and POC Athletes Commission officer Nikko Huelgas.

Second Vice President Jeff Tamayo was not in attendance during the said meeting.

The POC board also voted 8-5 to reject another proposal that will abolish the chairmanship position and keep the IPP post.

This means that barring some more sudden developments, the old rules regarding what seats are at stake and who can run for those spots in the POC election this November will stay. (PNA)


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