Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson William “Butch” Ramirez will not leave office unless President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formally appoints his successor.
In a conversation with Daily Tribune, Ramirez admitted that he is already packing up in preparation for the end of his term on 30 June — the day the President-elect will be formally sworn in as the country’s 17th Chief Executive.
Aside from the stuff in his office at the PSC headquarters inside Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, Ramirez is also processing his clearance and returning all supplies issued by the government.
On Monday, he will grace the weekly flag-raising ceremony where he is expected to share his Presidential Medal of Merit from President Rodrigo Duterte to his four commissioners and other PSC employees.
Ramirez, however, stressed that he plans to stay until President-elect Marcos formally appoints the new PSC chief to ensure a smooth transition of power and responsibilities.
“Without a new PSC chairman, I cannot abandon my position,” the 72-year-old former seminarian and Ateneo de Davao professor said.
“My term is almost expiring, but I cannot abandon the PSC without a new chairman. It is our responsibility to the country to make sure that everything is in place and there will be a smooth transition of power before we formally step down.”
Multiple sources claim that the race for the next members of the PSC board of commissioners is getting intense with over a hundred applicants vying for only five positions.
Former Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Noli Eala is said to be the frontrunner as well as Games and Amusement Board chairperson Abraham Mitra, former Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chairperson Tom Carrasco and former Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee chief Ramon Suzara.
National sports association executives Karen Caballero of sepak takraw and Wharton Chan of kickboxing were also mentioned for their closeness to POC president Abraham “Bambol” Toletino — the brother of Sen. Francis Tolentino.
Although he didn’t formally apply, Ramirez is also said to be in the shortlist for being the incumbent PSC chief.
Ramirez stressed that he trusts the wisdom of President-elect Marcos, knowing that whoever he appoints will surely sustain the momentum that the country gained in the international arena that was highlighted by the overall title in the 30th Southeast Asian Games and gold medal of Hidilyn Diaz in the Tokyo Olympics.
But while the appointments have yet to be formalized, Ramirez, together with commissioners Mon Fernandez, Charles Maxey, Arnold Agustin and Celia Kiram, will stay with executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy running the day-to-day operations for being the highest-ranking career official.
“There are a lot of competent people here in the PSC. Now, I will leave it up to my executive director, Atty. Iroy, who is the highest-ranking career oficial,” Ramirez said, adding that the appointments could be formalized as early as next week.
“I really cannot abandon the PSC until a new chairman takes over. So, while there is no formal appointment, I still consider myself to be working here.”
“Before 30 June, I’m sure the President and his people have already appointed a new chairman and four commissioners of the Philippine Sports Commission. But for now, we will stay here and wait for word from Malacañang.”
Date: June 26, 2022 | By: Julius Manicad | Newspaper: Tribune | Source: https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2022/06/26/psc-chief-vows-smooth-transition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=psc-chief-vows-smooth-transition&fbclid=IwAR1Lmxf8nuOO0UUuMw5Bo2Zm18xCVzlZHtes6GZ5KT-C0El_UolUgjBJzuQ
