POC assures IOC of transparency with regards to charter amendments

The International Olympic Committee will not be left in the dark in what is happening in the Philippine Olympic Committee.

That was the assurance of newly-elected Executive Board member Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski as it graced the latest online session of the Philippine Sportswriters' Association Forum Tuesday.

“We at the IOC are regularly in touch,” said the country's representative to the IOC, in which she will provide them the updates as she is set to take part in their meeting next week

Presently, the POC is getting the sporting headlines last week when the heated debates in amendments to the constitution and the by-laws ended in a stalemate.

Among those measures, the main issue was setting the age limit at 70 years old for officials from national sports associations seeking for positions in the POC, in which it was met with widespread opposition by the majority of the executive committee.

Other key proposals include barring persons to simultaneously hold two NSAs and withdrawal of recognition of the said NSAs who are not affiliated with the international federations, in which the two meetings produced fruitless results.

Cojuangco-Jaworski said that the IOC itself is pushing for the changes, hoping that they are implemented before the respective national Olympic committees hold their elections.

“There are many developments in the Olympic movement and we want to keep up. The IOC wants the amendments to take effect before the different NOCs hold their elections,” added the 2002 Asian Games champion equestrienne.

And despite the Tokyo games being moved by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, she stressed that the IOC expects the POC to abide by its charter in holding the elections this year.

“That’s in our by-laws. In other countries, it’s only stated that they will have elections on the Olympic year so naturally that’s 2020. But Olympics was postponed,” said Cojuangco-Jaworski.

“But there are countries where the constitution says that whether or not the Olympics pushes through or not there will be elections and we are one of those countries. That is specified. Of course, the IOC expects that we adhere to our own constitution.”

Screengrab from the Philippine Sportswriters' Association