PSC forms Arbitration Committee for NSAs

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has had enough of the controversies that are dragging Philippine sports and has formed a committee to address the issues.

PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez announced the formation of the Grievance and Arbitration Committee, which will be headed by acting executive director Carlo Abarquez and legal consultant Ramsey Quijano, that will try to resolve in-fighting within the National Sports Associations (NSAs) and its stakeholders and the grievances of athletes and coaches.

Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez himself, who has been silent on the numerous issues hounding sports since he assumed office in July, also made his first public announcement.

“We are doing our job. In due time, we will release our position against NSAs and the POC. One solution that the board is contemplating with all these abuses and corruptions issues is to file cases, stop the funding and focusing on grassroots sports program. Leave the NSAs and the POC on their own, anyway they are private organizations. Our lawyers are now investigating and arbitrating. We will release our stand when all documents are made available,” Ramirez said.

Quijano clarified that PSC’s legal basis of its action is the PSC act itself.

“PSC will investigate complaints relating to POC-NSA abuses, mismanagement of affairs, misapplication of resources and corruption through the creation of a Grievance and Arbitration Committee. The legal basis is Section 11, paragraph J, M and N of the RA 6847, the PSC Law...PSC has the power to do all acts and things necessary to be done for or in connection with the performance of its functions, including - ( J) to exercise supervisory pow- ers over the national sports associations... (M) to impose sanctions upon any national sports association, institution, association, body, entity, team, athlete and sports official, Quijano said.

According to Quijano, they will call the aggrieved parties, NSAs, athletes, coaches or stakeholders for an investigation and hearing before the committee resolves the issues and submit its resolution to the PSC board for approval and action.

“If these things are not corrected and resolved properly, anytime the PSC will suspend and stop funding the NSAs and POC. But we will continue to support our elite athletes and coaches and will focus on PSC’s Philippine Sports Institute’s grassroots programs in all regions of the country, Ramirez said.

According to Fernandez, PSC will focus in resolving the issues on swimming and lawn tennis the soonest possible time. /