Under pressure

A call from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) left Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Ricky Vargas with no choice but to meet members of his council in an executive

session today at the POC headquarters in Philsports compound. Jerome Polvey, the IOC head of national Olympic committee relations, called Vargas the other day from Lausanne, Switzerland to remind him that he should meet, discuss and settle his issues with his executive

board, which is composed of eight of the 13 voting members.

With that, Vargas had no choice but to instruct POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio to cancel a separate board meeting set on 17 June at the 10th floor SM Aura Premier with Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) chief

Alan Peter Cayetano in attendance.

POC board members are cold over the idea of having

Cayetano in an executive session.

In fact, he was tagged as the primary responsible for the

slow preparations in the country’s SEA Games hosting as Cayetano has yet to fully assure if all facilities, marketing, transportation, venues, volunteers would be ready when the

meet opens on 30 November.

A prominent member of the council in lawyer Clint Aranas

of archery said the executive session should be limited only to members of the board as they are tipped to grill Vargas over various issues regarding the country’s preparation

for the Games.

On top of the agenda are his involvement in Phisgoc

Foundation, Inc. and the questionable deal with an apparel company that aims to serve as the supplier of Team

Philippines in the biennial meet.

It was found out that Vargas, Gregorio, POC

communications director Ed Picson and former POC chairman Tom Carrasco are among the eight incorporators of Phisgoc

Foundation, a body that operates the preparation for the SEA Games despite having no approval from the POC board.

Joining them are Cayetano’s trusted men in Donaldo Caringal, Ramon Suzara, Monica Ann Mitra and Dexter Estacio. Surprisingly, the former Foreign Affairs Secretary was not an incorporator in Phisgoc Foundation although he still acts as its chairman.

The board will also question Vargas’ involvement with Phisgoc Foundation’s controversial transaction with Asics in which a set of competition uniform costs more than double the amount that it quoted to the Philippine Sports Commission during the 18th Asian Games last year.

“An executive session should only be limited to the members of the POC board. We are not comfortable having non-board members around,” said Aranas, the president and general manager of the Government Service Insurance System.

“We found out that the POC president entered into transactions without the knowledge of the POC board. As members of the board, we called for an executive session with the POC president to clarify his position on these issues. He should explain to us what is happening.”

Aside from the Phisgoc Foundation and Asics contract, also included in the agenda in the 10 a.m. gab are Vargas’ media statement that branded the POC board members as “destabilizers,” pronouncements he made in the POC general assembly on 27 May, status on the POC resolution withdrawing the appointment of Karen Caballero as POC deputy secretary general, status on the payment for broadcast rights in the Asian Games last year, the 30th SEA Games and other matters.

An executive session should only be limited to the members of the POC board.

Previous reports have it that Vargas will face his executive board in the spirit of unity, good governance and transparency.

But a senior POC executive board member dismissed his claim and revealed that Polvey called Vargas to remind him that the majority should always be on top, similar to what happened when he clinched the presidency over Jose “Peping” Cojuangco in a court-ordered election last year.

“Jerome called Ricky the other day to remind him to meet his executive council,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.

“With that, he has no choice, but to attend. The IOC is closely keeping an eye on this issue and is looking forward to a solution that will be acceptable to greater majority.”