VALENZUELA District 2 Rep. Eric Martinez was named to the three-member Elections Committee that will supervise the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) elections on November 27.
Martinez will join lawyer Teodoro Kalaw IV, who will head the polls body, and Francisco Elizalde, the former International Olympic Committee representative to the Philippines in the body.
POC President, Tagaytay City Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, announced recently that the body is going on with its Olympic cycling elections on the last Friday of November of an Olympic year.
Tolentino is expected to seek reelection with archery president Clint Aranas as his most likely opponent.
“I agreed to be part of the Elections Committee and my job tasks to make sure the POC elections go on smoothly,” Martinez said.
Martinez heads the House Committee on Youth and Sports and has been a staunch mover in Congress to provide P180 million funds for Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes and those who are still trying to qualify for the Games.
The Philippine Sports Commission is cash strapped and has sought the help of Congress to guarantee the funding for the country’s Olympic campaign. The Tokyo Games are set in August next year.
Martinez said a House sub-committee on budget will tackle the Olympic funding in a hearing this week.
“The sub-committee will discuss the budget for our athletes who will compete in the Olympics,” he said. “We have to ensure the funding by January.”
“PSC Chairman William Ramirez informed Congress that the Olympic funds won’t last beyond December, so I told the Chairman that I will push it hard for the funds to help win that first Olympic gold medal under President Duterte’s administration,” he added.