THE GIFT OF PEACE: PSC, POC achieve unity ahead of Yuletide celebration

A few weeks before Christmas, Philippine sports received a perfect gift: The gift of peace, unity and friendship.

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) are having a joyous and meaningful celebration of the Christmas season after achieving unity within their ranks.

POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, in fact, expressed happiness seeing some of his political nemeses extending their hand of reconciliation when they made a surprise appearance at the POC thanksgiving party last 5 December at the Hotel Okura in Pasay City.

Since assuming the POC presidency in 2019, there was a bloc of national sports association leaders who were opposing his policies and even questioning the finances of the local Olympic council.

Things came to a head in the previous POC elections when squash president Robert Bachmann tried to secure a temporary restraining order that would prevent Tolentino from seeking a four-year term for being an elected public official.

But the TRO didn’t arrive and Bachmann went on to win via landslide over Joaquin “Chito” Loyzaga of baseball, 45-15, formally cementing his overwhelming mandate in the 61-man POC general assembly.

But during the POC thanksgiving party, four executives who are aligned with the opposition in Cynthia Carrion of gymnastics, Charlie Ho of netball, Jonnie Go of field hockey, and Jay Adalem of handball showed up to shake Tolentino’s hand, formally marking the end of the long-running cold war within the local Olympic family.

Although Loyzaga was not around, the mere presence of four of his allies only means that peace and unity are now within reach.

“If they really want to achieve peace, I’m just a call away. We can talk anytime,” Tolentino told DAILY TRIBUNE in a conversation.

He said it’s time for them to bury the hatchet and buckle down to work, especially now that they are facing a very busy year ahead with the country’s participation in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

“Work starts in earnest,” Tolentino added.

“That will be a tough SEA Games, but I’m confident our athletes, our national sports associations will deliver in Thailand.”

Also achieving unity is the PSC board of commissioners headed by chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann.

Just last month, he was alleged by no less than his own commissioner — Matthew “Fritz” Gaston — to have made some questionable financial decisions during his term as PSC chief.

Gaston even claimed that Bachmann tried to reimburse the travel expenses of his own daughter during the Paralympic Games in Paris last September.

Worse, the former Games and Amusement Board commissioner reached out to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to report Bachmann’s so-called irregularities before leaking a former PSC chief who posted it on social media.

Having warring officials is nothing new in the 34-year history of the PSC. But it was the first time for the agency to witness two executives openly declaring war and airing their dislike towards each other.

But everything now seems a thing of the past.

Bachmann and Gaston appear to have already buried the hatchet and are now co-existing inside the PSC boardroom together with other commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo, Walter Torres and Edward Hayco.

In fact, Gaston, who reportedly lobbied hard to replace Bachmann as PSC chief, made a surprising U-turn as he has now become very supportive to the plans, program and directive of the incumbent PSC chairman.

Bachmann brushed it off but was obviously glad that there’s finally peace within the country’s most crucial sports agency.

“Well, my focus has always been the national athletes,” Bachmann said.

Yes, the holiday cheer is now being felt in Philippine sports.

We just hope that sports officials will get to enjoy the greatest gift that they have received and keep on working as true-blue members of one team: Team Philippines.