Athletes can now air gripes before PSC

Athletes in the national pool can now air their complaints and grievances against their respective national sports associations (NSAs) before the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

PSC chairman Butch Ramirez has tapped lawyer Ramsey Quijano as head of the PSC arbitration and grievance committee.

“Previously, the athletes cannot air their grievances against the NSAs. The PSC has now decided to address that,” said Quijano.

“The purpose of this committee is to receive the complaints from the national athletes. So far, we have received 14 complaints,” said Quijano, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu Chapter.

Quijano did not specify who have filed the complaints and what the complaints are but said they involve sports like track and field, volleyball, bowling and judo.

The committee has formally received the complaints and has sent out notices to the respondents. Once received by the other party, arbitration and mediation will be scheduled.

“We have sent out the notices either against the NSA itself or the coach,” said Quijano.

The lawyer now representing the PSC, however, said they can only act on certain complaints if they are properly filed before the government sports agency.

“We have our own guidelines because it is not in the mandate of the PSC to do it on its own. We require that the complaint or complaints be filed. The PSC can only act if it is filed under oath,” Quijano said.

He cited the case of marathoner Mary Joy Tabal who claimed before the committee that track and field officials are asking her to train in Manila.

“But she feels she can train better in Cebu,” said Quijano of Tabal, a veteran of the 2016 Rio Olympics, who resigned from the national pool shortly after her stint in the Summer Olympics.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field president Philip Ella Juico said with her resignation, Tabal is not qualified to join the team to the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in August.

“But once she files for reinstatement and we accept her, then Tabal can join the team to the SEA Games,” said Juico.