UNITY IN SPORTS. Newly-elected Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino vows to bring unity in sports during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Amelie Hotel in Malate, Manila on Tuesday (July 30, 2019). Tolentino will meet with his board members on Friday (Aug. 2) in his first official capacity as head of the country’s Olympic body since being elected to the post on July 28. (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)
MANILA – Newly-elected Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino is looking for the healing process to begin as he convenes the POC board for the first time on Aug. 2.
Tolentino will meet his board at the POC office in his first official capacity as head of the country’s Olympic body since being elected to the post last July 28.
He said the first order of the day is to extend his hands to the rest of the Board and show his sincerity and readiness to work with them.
At the same time, he is ready to answer issues previously raised by the Board during the term of past president Ricky Vargas shortly before he resigned from his post.
“I will answer them kung ano ang itatanong nila. And nasa kanila na kung tatangapin nila yung sagot ko. Basta sasagutin ko lahat ng tanong nila. (whatever questions they will ask. And it’s up to them if they will accept my answer. I will just answer all these questions). Hopefully this would be a good start for the POC,” said Tolentino during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.
Tolentino said his immediate course of action is to focus on the preparations being made by the country for its hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games later this year.
But everything will not move forward if the entire POC would not be on board, according to the representative of the seventh district of Cavite.
“Unity muna (first). You cannot have those directions if you don’t have unity,” said Tolentino in the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
“We have to focus on the SEA Games so kailangan natin ng unity. Kung hindi tayo united (we need unity. If we are not united), forget about everything,” he added.
Update on the SEA Games will be the main agenda of the Board, with Tolentino inviting a member of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) during the meeting.
At the same time, the president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (Philcycling) said he will give up his position as Phisgoc sports director, since as POC president, he will automatically assume the position of Phisgoc vice-chairman.
With less than two years at the helm of the POC, Tolentino said his concentration will be more on the short-term planning like the SEA Games, Para Games, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Kalimutan muna natin yung (Let’s forget first the) long-range planning, whatever plans or programs that you have in mind. That’s not doable kasi very short lang yung term,” he said.
Tolentino also vowed to just pursue the changes his predecessor has previously laid down, although he said he will be more of a hands-on leader.
“Pipilitin nating maayos ito dahil ako po ay matagal ng nag-graduate sa mga kaguluhan (We do our best to fix this because I have graduated from this kind of mess),” said Tolentino, who was also a three-term councilor, three-term mayor, and now three-term congressman.
“Lahat ng gulo napasok ko na pero naayos ko naman. Kaya yung last two terms ko as congressman, wala nang lumaban sa akin (I have encountered every kind of trouble but I was able to solve them. That’s my last two terms as congressman, no one fought me), and that shows that they have accepted my governance,” he added. (PR)
