Does the PSC need a ‘bold reset?’

Does the PSC need a ‘bold reset?’ | Daily Tribune

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent directive to all ranking government officials to file courtesy resignations sent shock waves through Philippine sports.

As of the end of office hours last Friday, all five members of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) board — Chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann and Commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo, Matthew “Fritz” Gaston, Edward Hayco and Walter Torres — had yet to file their courtesy resignations.

With that, the PSC became one of the nine government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations whose appointed officials have yet to resign.

In a text message last week, Bachmann, through PSC Executive Director Paulo Tatad, said there was no need for them to resign as they don’t hold Cabinet positions unlike the officials whose resignations were immediately accepted by the President as part of his plan to revamp his team entering the second half of his six-year term.

But is there really a need for Bachmann and his group to step down?

Look, asking for the courtesy resignation of appointed officials is nothing new, especially if a new administration is taking over. Aside from giving the incoming President room to assert his vision and plot his roadmap, it also serves as a chance to reset the agencies and the entire bureaucracy.

At its core, the call for courtesy resignations is a powerful tool for any administration to consolidate its mandate and ensure alignment across government agencies.

For the PSC — an agency tasked with the promotion and development of sports, the provision of financial and logistical support to national athletes, and the overall welfare of the sporting community — such a directive would allow President Marcos to handpick individuals who share his objectives.

Coming up with a “bold reset” is a vital step towards accountability. If there have been whispers of mismanagement, internal squabbles or even outright corruption, a clean slate offers the opportunity to install fresh leadership unburdened by past baggage.

The leadership of Bachmann isn’t free of internal strife. In fact, Bachmann and one of his commissioners — Gaston — reportedly do not see eye to eye.

Gaston even wrote a letter to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin demanding the ouster of Bachmann. To make matters worse, his office reportedly leaked the report to media to make sure reporters covering the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex beat would pick it up and it would lead to Bachmann’s downfall.

Prior to that, Bachmann also had a squabble with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

No less than POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino complained that “we’re not playing as a team” after the PSC demanded that the POC liquidate a 25-year-old cash advance of P10 million days before Team Philippines competed in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

But reshuffling the PSC will not be without consequences, especially since the country is preparing for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in December and the 20th Asian Games next year.

Whether we admit it or not, replacing Bachmann and the commissioners — even with experienced officials — could lead to a slowdown in operations, affecting critical programs, funding disbursements, and preparations for the upcoming international competitions.

The instability could demoralize dedicated athletes, coaches and PSC employees, fostering an environment of uncertainty rather than motivation.

You see, Philippine sports is enjoying its golden age. With the emergence of Olympic gold medalists like Hidilyn Diaz and Carlos Yulo, as well as other topnotch athletes like Alex Eala, Ernest John Obiena, Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial, pressing the restart button now may do more harm than good.

In short, shuffling PSC officials at this point presents both promise and peril. It is a two-edged sword that can either make or break the morale of Filipino athletes.

But should President Marcos decide to pull the trigger and overhaul the PSC, he should appoint officials who are not just men of integrity, honesty and principle but who are capable of hitting the ground running to deliver instant results.

For the sake of the Filipino athletes and other stakeholders, a “bold reset” should not just be a mere change of faces, but a genuine commitment to building a robust, transparent and athlete-centric sports agency that could sustain the momentum built by their predecessors and lead the country to the top of the global stage.