There's no denying that the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is in turmoil.

Actually, the mess is much deeper than what we imagine.

It all started with the involvement of its former president, Ricky Vargas, in the formation of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation, Inc., a body that aims to organize the 30th SEA Games.

In Phisgoc's Articles of Incorporation that was filed before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), it was very clear that Phisgoc wants to become the new national Olympic Committee (NOC) by taking away the functions of the POC.

First, it wants to undertake the necessary preparations for the SEA Games as well as other international games that the country will host in the next 50 years. It means that if the country wins the bidding for the Asian Games or any regional or continental championship, Phisgoc has the right to run it.

It also aims to receive, manage and disburse all funds and monies derived from sponsorship, donations, grant and subsidies of the SEA Games and other international events and be responsible for its disbursement.

Vargas was one of the eight incorporators together with POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio, POC communications director Ed Picson and former POC chairman Tom Carrasco as well as members of Alan Peter Cayetano's inner circle like Donaldo Caringal, Ramon Suzara, Monica Mitra and Dexter Estacio, who are all outsiders to the Olympic movement.

The SEC registration was filed in June of last year, but the POC executive council knew about it only last March.

The POC executive board demanded an explanation from Vargas. But instead of coming up with a stand, Vargas tried his best to skirt the issue by employing various tactics, including that expletive-laced speech before members of the POC general assembly last 27 May.

Finally, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stepped in and tasked Vargas to face the executive board. Still, he didn't explain. He resigned.

This resignation sparked what looms to be the biggest disaster in Philippine sports.

A week after Vargas' resignation, the new POC leadership called for an extraordinary general assembly to formalize everything and restart its buildup for the SEA Games.

The meeting, however, turned ugly as members of Vargas' group, now led by POC chairman Abraham Tolentino, strongly questioned the legitimacy of Joey Romasanta to become the new POC president. In the end, Romasanta had no choice, but to join Tolentino and board member Clint Aranas in stepping down to pave the way for special elections.

The POC board members said they would hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the elections. But Tolentino, who openly expressed his willingness to run for the POC presidency, wants it to happen on 5 July.

In fact, he already has a venue as well as an elections panel in former Commission on Election commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, jiu-jitsu secretary general Ferdie Agustin and POC general counsel Alberto Agra.

Larrazabal is said to be Tolentino's friend after serving as member of the board of trustees of Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines while Agra is reportedly close to Vargas, who appointed him to be the official lawyer of the POC.

Tolentino said the elections will push through come hell or high water and they will take over the POC as soon as they clinch all positions.

To say that the special elections are going to be a farce is an understatement. It is a clear example of a mob rule.

While this chaos was happening, a different kind of storm was brewing over at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Gregorio reportedly went there, not just to attend an official Olympic function as what he told Romasanta when he asked permission, but to show ranking IOC executives news reports painting the POC board members as the villains of Philippine sports.

He was also reportedly seeking a meeting between ranking Philippine government officials and IOC representatives in a bid to have the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) replace the POC as the country's NOC.

### In this terrifying scenario, nobody wins.

Of course, we know that it won't happen.

The IOC frowns on having government officials taking over a country's elite sports program. It's a clear case of government intervention, something that could lead to the country's suspension or, worse, expulsion from the IOC's roster of NOCs.

Obviously, it was all part of their gameplan.

They want the POC to get suspended so that its activities, functions and funding will be paralyzed, making it impossible to spearhead the country's hosting of the SEA Games. If that happens, either the PSC or Phisgoc would take over in organizing the staging of the prestigious biennial meet this November.

Let's admit it: The Philippines is already on the brink of getting suspended by the IOC.

If it happened to a wealthy country like Kuwait, where the powerful president of the Olympic Council of Asia resides, or to countries like Russia and India, who are sending massive delegations to the Olympics, it could also happen to a tiny country like us.

Remember that our only contribution to the Olympic movement is 16 athletes, who saw action in the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games in 2016. Other than that, we have not given them anything.

So, it's really very easy for the IOC to kick us out of its family and completely bar us from competing in any international competitions — not even the SEA Games.

In this terrifying scenario, nobody wins.

Everybody loses.