Fernandez: Discrimination of the first degree
The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) special reinstatement committee has released on Friday night the list of conditions that embattled Cebuana Olympian Mary Joy Tabal has to meet for her to be reinstated into the national team for this August’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Malaysia.
Before Tabal left for Tuscany, Italy on Wednesday to train there for two months, she sent a letter of reinstatement to Patafa headed by Philip Ella Juico, asking the National Sports Association (NSA) for athletics to change its earlier decision excluding her from the SEA Games roster despite being the country’s number one marathoner and a SEAG silver medalist.
The Patafa is set to submit the final list of track and field athletes who will carry the country’s colors in the biennial games on June 15.
The Patafa reinstatement committee is composed of Patafa Chairman Atty. Nicanor Sering, Co-Chairman Atty. Rufus Rodriguez, Reynato Unso, national team coach Jojo Posadas and Patafa Marketing and Communications Director Edward Kho.
The committee resolution, a copy of whch was furnished online to the media by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Ramon Fernandez read: “The Committee will grant her reinstatement, if all of the following conditions are complied with: 1) Ms. Tabal shall sign a written undertaking committing herself to abide by the Patafa rules and regulations for all national athletes sent to Patafa on or before June 14, 2017 (Manila time): June 15,2017 being the deadline of submission of the final list of entries of the athletes to the POC for the 2017 SEA Games.
The resolution also ordered Tabal “to train under the Patafa designated national coach, train in either of the two training camps-Baguio and Manila, conduct herself at all times in a manner that demonstrates the respect to fellow athletes, the Patafa and its officials, and compliance with the universal code of conduct, written or unwritten expected of all elite athletes”.
It also directed Tabal to “withdraw, officially and publicly, her baseless February 17, 2017 complaint letter sent to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) addressed to Atty. Carlo Abarquez.”
Fernandez called the committee’s demands as “discrimination of the first degree” citing the Fil-foreign athletes who continue to train in their respective countries with their own coaches and deny Tabal the same previlege.
Tabal’s exclusion from the national team also prompted the Cebu City Council to pass a resolution asking Patafa to reconsider its decision.
Deputy House Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia also wants Congress to look into the matter.