Hand shake ends POC, PSC row; Vow to team up for RP sports

MANILA, Philippines – A handshake before the meeting set the tone for a resolution that ended the spat between the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and PSC chairman Harry Angping met on Monday and decided to bury ill feelings and instead pledged to work hand in hand to help the country regain its once lofty status in the field of sports. The meeting was held upon the invitation of Department of Health (DOH) secretary Francisco Duque III who was tapped by President Gloria Arroyo to help end the conflict between the two sports bodies. “We had a handshake before the meeting started," said Angping who came face to face with Cojuangco for the first time after the POC leadership criticized Angping’s statements against Filipino-foreign athletes donning the national colors and his decision to create the Task Force Aquatics. The POC board even made a resolution asking the President to remove him from office or they will severe ties with the PSC. “Basically, the issues raised against me were already threshed out. So the meeting centered on how we can find ways to work together," explained Angping. He didn’t go down to details but said that he and Cojuangco will respect each other’s job based on Philippine Law and the POC Constitution. “It is very clear in the Law that our role is to fund athletes who deserve to go in international events while the POC will police its own ranks. On this point we agree to work together," added Angping. The problem even reached the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which also advised the POC to mend fences with the government-created sports agency but at the same time should not lose its autonomy. Secretary Duque was asked to act as mediator since the PSC is under DOH’s jurisdiction as declared by Malacañang last year. – GMANews.TV