ARANAS PARADES OLD, NEW FACES
A powerhouse roster with a perfect blend of youthful ideas and veteran experience would be joining Clint Aranas in running as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
Aranas revealed that incumbent POC chairman Steve Hontiveros would be seeking re-election under his ticket while athletics chief Philip Ella Juico and rugby boss Ada Milby will be his 1st president and 2nd vice president in the POC elections on 27 November.
A noted taxation lawyer, archery president, former ranking government official and a known crusader in Philippine sports, Aranas said Hontiveros, Juico and Milby present impressive credentials and track records in serving their athletes, coaches and fellow officials.
These three candidates have already shown their brilliance and track record within their NSA.
Hontiveros, for one, has been around for more than four decades as bowling president and member of the Olympic Council of Asia.
He served as secretary general of Celso Dayrit and Jose “Peping” Cojuangco before being elected as handball president and POC chairman in the special elections last year. Juico is also no pushover. He is a former cabinet secretary and chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission.
He replaced the controversial Go Teng Kok as Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president in 2014 and turned it into one of the most successful national sports associations (NSA) in the country.
In fact, PATAFA had a harvest of 11 gold medals in the previous 30th Southeast Asian Games in Clark to emerge as the most productive federation. A national athlete, Milby, on the other hand, is considered as a rising star. She has yet to hold a seat in the POC executive council, but she is already considered as one of the most respected figures in her sport after being hailed as one of the top 50 Most Influential People in Rugby by the Rugby World Magazine.
“These three candidates have already shown their brilliance and track record within their NSA and we can see that they will be vital in improving the governance of the POC,” Aranas said.
“Mr. Hontiveros was never involved in any controversy while Mr. Juico had already proven himself as an effective sport official. Ada Milby, meanwhile, may be young, but she is very popular in the world of rugby and is a good ambassador of the sport.”
Aranas is facing an uphill climb in the POC polls. Incumbent POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino already announced that he is seeking a fresh four-year term together with Al Panlilio of basketball and Richard Gomez of fencing and modern pentathlon.
Aranas said the inclusion of Hontiveros, Juico and Milby in his lineup would definitely improve the state of Philippine sports.
“I feel that getting them in our lineup is aligned with our vision, which is for the betterment of the POC,” he said.
“We should build POC in a level where transparency and clarity goes beyond the next generation of officials. We should be a moral compass for everyone.”
“We are aiming for a sustainable association, even beyond my term.”