The truth in the POC-GTK row


BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one...” (2 Thessalonians 3:3, the Holy Bible).

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THE TRUTH IN THE POC-GTK ROW? Go Teng Kok was declared a “persona non grata” by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) not only because he sued the sports body on two occasions in violation of the POC Constitution, but more because of a series of “grave excesses” which the POC considered as sufficient bases to render him unfit to remain as a member or official of the POC.

This was made clear during the POC executive board meeting where Go, or popularly known as GTK, was “disowned” by the POC, and is in fact shown by the minutes of that board meeting (which meeting was considered a first at the POC because all its executive board members were present all at the same time---a phenomenon that rarely happened at the sports body).

Based on records coming from the POC, particularly the minutes of that fateful meeting of the POC executive board, it appears that Go Teng Kok was declared a “persona non grata” by the POC upon the vote of all its board members, including his known allies, after they tackled and were confronted with his alleged past excesses as a POC official.

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“COMPELLING REASONS TO DECLARE GTK PERSONA NON GRATA”: What were the supposed past excesses of GTK, entered into the minutes of the POC meeting, which prodded all its board members to disown Go Teng Kok and declare him a “persona non grata”? The minutes and the report of POC officials show the following:

First: The POC considered Go to have undermined efforts by the POC to unify the different sports sectors comprising the POC. This was allegedly due to his influencing the selection of leaders for wushu, billiards, basketball, table tennis, badminton, bowling, swimming, and volleyball.

Second: The POC considered Go to have influenced athletes to defy rules and policies promulgated by past POC officials. A case in point cited by the minutes and by my POC friends was Go’s alleged leading of a boycott of the Philippine National Games in Bacolod City, which resulted in the banning of the athletes that supported the boycott from the National Pool. 

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“GTK VIOLATED POC CHARTER” AND MORE: Third: The POC found Go to have violated its Constitution by his having sued it twice, since it is the POC---not the courts---which is the final arbiter of disputes among national sports associations (NSAs) like the PKF. Because of this, the directive of the International Olympic Committee for POC to resist political, legal, religious, or economic pressures against the Olympic Charter was even disregarded.

Fourth: The POC found Go to have reneged on his own handwritten pledge to withdraw the first case he filed against the POC, and that while he had asked for arbitration to find an end to this first case, he nevertheless filed another case against the POC, this time to block the elections for PKF in Bacolod City.

Fifth: The POC found Go to have financially supported the election of convicted individuals as officials of NSAs; admitted that he operated a gambling den while he was president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association; and maintained close ties with someone awaiting deportation, as well as with illicit organizations abroad. Any reactions, Mr. Go Teng Kok?


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Ang totoo sa POC-GTK row


INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “…Ngunit ang Diyos ay tapat, at bibigyan Niya kayo ng lakas, at ipag-aadya Niya kayo mula sa masama…” (2 Tesalonica 3:3, Bibliya).

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ANG KATOTOHANAN SA AWAY NG POC AT GTK: Ideneklara si Go Teng Kok bilang “persona non grata” ng Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) hindi lamang dahil sa dalawang beses niyang inihabla ang POC ng labag sa Konstitusyon nito, kundi dahil din sa mga “grabeng pagmamalabis” na itinuring ng POC na sapat na batayan upang alisin siya bilang kasapi o opisyal ng sports body.

Ang mga bagay na ito ay niliwanag sa POC executive board meeting kung saan nadeklara si Go, kilala bilang GTK, na isang “persona non grata”, at ipinapakita din ang mga ito sa minutes ng nasabing pagpupulong (na itinuturing na espesyal sapagkat sa unang pagkakataon ay nakadalo ang lahat ng board members---bagay na di madalas mangyari sa POC).

Batay sa mga record na nagmumula sa POC, lalo na sa minutes ng pagpupulong ng POC executive board, ideneklarang “persona non grata” si Go Teng Kok ng POC batay sa boto ng lahat ng board members, kasama ang mga kilalang kaalyado niya, matapos nilang talakayin at malaman ang kanyang diumano ay mga pagmamalabis bilang POC official.

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“MABIBIGAT NA DAHILAN SA DEKLARASYON LABAN KAY GTK”: Ano ang mga sinasabing pagmamalabis ni GTK na nai-record sa minutes ng POC meeting at siyang pinagbatayan ng kanyang deklarasyon bilang “persona non grata”? Ayon sa nasabing minutes at sa ulat ng mga POC officials, naririto ang sinasabing pagmamalabis:

Una: Itinuring ng POC na sinira ni Go ang mga pagsusumikap ng sports body na mapag-isa ang iba’t ibang sektor sa palakasan na bumubuo ng POC. Nagawa diumano niya ito sa pamamagitan ng pakikialam at pag-iimpluwensiya sa pagpili ng mga lider para sa wushu, billiards, basketball, table tennis, badminton, bowling, swimming, at volleyball. 

Pangalawa: Itinuring ng POC na inimpluwensiyahan ni Go ang mga atleta na suwayin o labagin ang mga reglamento at alituntunin ng mga nakaraang opisyales ng POC. Ang isang kasong binabanggit sa minutes of the meeting ay ang diumano’y pangunguna ni Go sa boycott ng Philippine National Games sa Bacolod City, na naging daan upang masipa ang mga atletang sumama sa boycott mula sa National Pool.

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“GTK, LUMABAG SA POC CHARTER”, AT IBA PA: Pangatlo: Itinuring ng POC na nilabag ni Go ang Konstitusyon nito noong demandahin niya ito ng dalawang beses, dahil ang POC, hindi ang mga hukuman, ang dapat ay lumulutas sa gusot ng mga national sports association o NSAs. Dahil dito, naisantabi ang utos ng International Olympic Committee na labanan ng POC ang anumang pressure sa mga gawain nito.

Pang-apat: Itinuring din ng POC na nilabag ni Go ang kanyang sariling pangako, na siya ang sumulat mismo, na tatapusin niya ang unang kasong isinampa niya sa POC, at bagamat humingi siya ng pag-uusap tungo sa areglo upang matapos ang unang kasong ito, nagsampa siya ng pangalawang kaso laban sa POC, upang tutulan naman ang halalan sa PKF sa Bacolod City.

Panglima: Itinuring ng POC na ginastusan ni Go ang kampanya at panalo ng mga taong nasentensiyahan na ng mga hukuman upang maging opisyales ng NSA sang mga ito; umamin din diumano ito na nagkaroon siya ng gambling den habang pangulo siya ng Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association; at nakipagmabutihan sa isang ipapatapon na sa labas ng bansa, at sumasama sa mga ilegal na grupo sa abroad. May reaksiyon po kayo, G. Go Teng Kok?