KEY personalities were missing on Thursday’s action against the reign of longtime Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.
Nonetheless, the statement was loud and clear, even as the venue, the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum, was only filled by as many as 100 supporters of the anti-Cojuangco movement.
The rally, which was once promised to be attended by the likes of Sen. Richard Gordon, politician Bongbong Marcos, former Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Eric Buhain and gymnastics chief Cynthia Carrion, was carried out to oust Cojuangco and call for immediate reorganization in the embattled POC.
Dr. Aparicio Mequi, also a former top man in the PSC, led the demonstration along with Philippine Volleyball Federation President Edgardo Cantada and former Sen. and Philippine Swimming League Chairman Nikki Coseteng.
All were shouting one synonymous battle cry of dislodging the POC chief for the betterment of sports.
“I can only define sports through one word—patriotism,” Mequi said.
The downward trajectory of national sports associations (NSAs) triggered the outcry of several leaders to change the leadership in the POC.
Cojuangco, who just celebrated his 83rd birthday last Tuesday, has been serving at the helm for the past 12 years.
Those were the darkest days of Philippine sports, as told by many critics such PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, who also organized a rally in Cebu, as the country saw a steady decline in their performance in international tournaments.
Since 2005, when Manila hosted the Southeast Asian Games and topped the overall rankings by collecting a total of 291 medals, the country has amassed lesser medals.
After that fruitful year, the Philippines went rolling down the slope, finishing sixth in 2007 Thailand, fifth in 2009 Laos, sixth in 2011 Indonesia, seventh in 2013 Myanmar, and sixth in both the 2015 Singapore edition and the recent Malaysia Games.
The poor performances root from the alleged corruption within the POC, which leads the NSAs.
Mequi and his group are pushing for the government to file charges against Cojuangco over the unliquidated fundings of P127 million.
Cantada said the POC president should step down for the sake of the athletes.
“We already know that Cojuangco and his gang are corrupt, unfair and too senile to admit they are useless to remain in the POC,” Cantada lamented.
“Now we realize they are also deaf to the cries of the Filipino athletes,” he added.
Defiant of the small number of participants in the rally that coincided with the anniversary of the punitive martial law, Mequi remains confident that they can press the people to support their initiative.