Ni NOEL ABUEL
Hinamon ng isang kongresista si Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Philip Ella Juico na maging kinatawan ng Pilipinas para lumaban sa ibang bansa sa pole vault competition.
Ayon kay Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) party list Rep. Jericho Nograles, dahil sa ginawa ni Juico kay EJ Obiena na tanggalin sa national team ay isang malaking kahibangan.
“Who should compete for the Philippines? Obiena as the Asian Record Holder at 5.93 meters is the best qualified athlete in Asia, followed by China with 5.80 meters. Can Philip Juico take his place and pole vault that high?” tanong ni Nograles.
Apela pa ng kongresista sa baligtarin ng Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) ang desisyon ng PATAFA dahil sa tahasang paglabag ito sa Konstitusyon.
Sinabi pa ni Nograles, vice-chair ng House Committee on Youth and Sports Development, na dahil sa pagtanggal kay EJ sa national pool ay awtomatikong mawawala sa bansa ang posibleng gold medals mula sa Asian Championships sa Kazakhstan, SEA Games sa Vietnam, Asian Games sa China, at World Championships in Oregon.
“I don’t understand why Juico had to do this kind of action whereas he could have just admitted he was wrong, apologized, and moved on. It is without a doubt that he wrongly accused Obiena of financial indiscretion. He should have been a sportsman enough to accept his mistake. Juico is the face of everything that is wrong about Philippine sports,” paliwanag pa ni Nograles.
“Juico has done much for sports, but maybe he should retire and just give EJ Obiena his a once-in-lifetime medal run. Obiena and national glory should be protected at all costs. The PSC should exercise its mandate as provided under the Law and protected by the Constitution,” dagdag nito.
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