JUICO: TABAL QUIT

PATAFA president Philip Juico. (INQUIRER FILE)

Patafa chief says Cebuana Olympian wasn’t axed, but marathoner denies she resigned

Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) president Philip Juico clarified Wednesday that Mary Joy Tabal was not cut from the national team.

“She resigned,” Juico told the Inquirer. “And she never said she was coming back despite us reaching out to ask her if she wants to meet about her reinstatement.”

Tabal resigned from the national team after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last year after becoming the first Filipino female marathoner to race in the Olympiad.

“Tabal and her handler, Jonel Borromeo, insisted in a number of meetings that Tabal was leaving the national team after the Rio Olympics. They said they would get in touch with us when they’re free to discuss with us how she proposed to go back to [the national team].”

The Patafa has taped recordings of the meetings where Tabal and her handler said they would quit the national team after the Summer Games.

But Tabal said she didn’t quit.

“With all honesty, I did not resign after the Rio Olympics,” she said. “I received an e-mail from Patafa few days after I arrived from Rio [stating] that my reinstatement will end or is up to Aug. 30, 2016 only.”

Tabal sent Cebu Daily News a copy of the e-mail.

Juico said Patafa did send e-mails to Tabal’s team between September and October last year to remind them of the meetings. Borromeo replied to the e-mails saying he agreed that the meeting needed to be set. But no meeting transpired and instead, Tabal sent a letter of complaint to the Philippine Sports Commission detailing the “bad treatment she was getting from Patafa,” Juico added.

Tabal, however, said she and her team met with Juico and other Patafa officials after Rio.

“We had a meeting last Sept. 28, 2016 right after when they dropped me from the team after Rio. That’s the meeting we had after Rio.”

But she made it clear that she didn’t quit.

“I did not resign. I have to tell the truth, and that’s the truth. Coach Philip (Dueñas) was there with us during the meetings.”

Reacting to Tabal’s press conference in Cebu Tuesday, Juico said he is willing to reinstate Tabal to the national team on the condition that she admits she had quit and correct impressions that she was axed.

Juico formed a body to set a meeting with Tabal and her team to discuss if she could be reinstated in time for the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur in August.

The group is composed of coach Jojo Posadas, Patafa secretary general Nonoy Unso, Patafa communications and marketing director Edward Kho and lawyer Rufus Rodriguez, a Patafa director.

The group meets Thursday to discuss the parameters of Tabal’s request for reinstatement.

Tabal said she is gratefull and respects the group Patafa formed and  her team will meet with them once called. But she will not be able to attend those meetings as she was scheduled to leave for Italy last night to train there again. The Italy trip was scheduled two months ago.