The clamor for improvement of the national sports program has some national sports organizations (NSAs) hoping for a change in the leadership in the Philippine Olympic Committee, in particular, for renowned sports patron and tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan to make himself available for the presidency.
And with the whispers of support getting louder, an insider within the MVP group has divulged that these has prompted serious reconsideration from the president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines.
The source said that some NSA leaders have assured the business bigwig that a cursory head count shows him ahead, “and many of those on the fence have indicated they will support MVP should he declare himself available” for the post.
“MVP is slowly feeling the pressure to take on the responsibility of going for the presidency,” the insider said in a press statement.
He is already currently into several sports disciplines as benefactor so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to imagine him taking on a bigger challenge. But no decisions have been made yet.”
Current POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, who is seeking a third term in the Nov. 30 elections, has earlier offered Pangilinan the position of POC chairman in a power-sharing scheme, but the top honcho at PLDT and Smart Communications politely declined the overture, telling sportswriters during the recent FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup in Tokyo that he “wouldn’t have the time.”
The source said a win-win solution would be for Cojuangco, a former Tarlac representative, to step aside, having made his mark in the eight years he had sat as head of the country’s overall sports program and give way to somebody else.
Cojuangco, however, has shown no indication of any plans other than to seek reelection, igniting the clarion call for Pangilinan to step into the plate and take a swing at the POC presidency.