The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is already on notice about the leadership squabble in the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). According to a person familiar with the situation, the world governing body in sports is already gathering reports about the rising political tension in the local Olympic council after POC chairman Abraham Tolentino called for special elections without the approval of the POC executive board. The POC executive board is set to meet on Monday to lay down the groundwork for clean and democratic elections, but Tolentino declared that the snap elections should be held on 5 July in accordance to the wish of the general assembly. Tolentino, the cycling chief, is eyeing the POC presidency reportedly against a prominent member of the POC executive board in lawyer Clint Aranas, the archery president who is mulling the possibility of running as independent candidate. Reports have it that former Commission on Elections commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal already agreed to serve as chairman of the POC elections committee with jiu-jitsu secretary general Ferdie Agustin and POC legal counsel Al Agra as members. Interestingly, Larrazabal also served as member of the board of trustees of the Integrated Cycling Federation while Agra was appointed to the POC by former POC president Ricky Vargas, a close Tolentino ally. The IOC is very much aware of what’s going on. The source said IOC representative to the country Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and IOC member Frank Elizalde are now at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland not just to attend the general assembly of the 134th IOC Session, but also to serve as resource persons should the IOC seek an update about the political conflict in the POC. “The IOC already asked us what is going on and we already made a very comprehensive report complete with a video of what happened during the previous general assembly,” said the source, a member of the POC executive board, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. “We already gave our side and we expect the IOC to come up with a resolution any time now. We, the members of the POC board, are inclined to follow what the IOC would say.” The IOC is very much involved in reducing the tension in the POC. In fact, reports have it that no less than IOC director for national Olympic committee relations Jerome Polvey called Vargas two weeks ago to instruct him to face the POC board and explain his involvement about the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgocs) Foundation, Inc. Phisgoc is not recognized by the POC executive council.

But it was found out that Vargas is one of Phisgocs’ eight original incorporators together with POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio, POC communications director Ed Picson and for- mer POC chairman Tom Carrasco, prompting the board to give him five working days to come up with an explanation. Vargas didn’t comply. But when Polvey called him to remind him to meet, discuss settle the issue with the POC board members, he showed up in an executive council meeting to tender his irrevocable resignation. “The IOC is very much aware of what’s going on,” said the source, adding that they are still not recognizing the special elections called by Tolentino. “It’s up to them if they want to hold an election. For us, we’re abiding by our constitution and by-laws and we will follow whatever the IOC would say.”