The case of Go Teng Kok

By Al S. Mendoza

IF that wasn’t funny, then that was weird.

How else can you best describe what they’ve done to Go Teng Kok (GTK)?

First, the top brass at the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), headed by Peping Cojuangco, held a signature campaign to oust GTK from the POC.

As president of the Philippine, Amateur Track & Field Association (Patafa), GTK is an outright bonafide member of the POC—the Patafa being a POC member.

In a general assembly meeting of the POC, GTK got kicked out—or so the POC officialdom said.

Reportedly—I say reportedly because no official documents had been released to the media—more than a majority of the 40-plus POC members had allegedly voted to remove GTK out of the POC.

When GTK and Sammy Estimo, GTK’s lawyer, asked for an explanation on why he was being ousted, their plea fell on deaf ears.

The two were almost bodily carried out of the board room of Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in Mandaluyong City after the “voting.”

In a symbolic move, GTK and Estimo tore the constitution of the POC to express their dismay.

“You can’t stop us from doing this because Mr. Popoy Juico [the Wack Wack president] is also my client,” said Estimo.

Next, Estimo and GTK went to court to question the POC act, calling it unconstitutional and without basis.

While the case is pending, Estimo and GTK aired their appeal to the International Olympic Committee.

Of course, the reason why Peping, P-Noy’s uncle, led GTK’s ouster was the alleged conduct unbecoming of a POC member hurled at GTK.

GTK, Peping’s one-time ally and chief lieutenant who was instrumental in Peping’s election and re-election bids in the POC, had been too vocal in exposing alleged irregularities under Peping’s watch in the POC.

Always known to be a controversial sports leader and inclined always to a fighting mood when espousing his advocacies, GTK has incurred the ire of many of his peers at the POC, including POC chair Monico Puentevella and POC gen-sec Steve Hontiveros.

It is, therefore, the general sentiment that GTK’s ouster was meant to silence him for good.

But then, as in all moves to diffuse dissent, this recent irrational reaction to legitimate fiscal action and filibustering would readily redound once more to a thunderous defeat at the proper time.

The POC move was, for all intents and purposes, an act of injustice per se, not only against GTK, but against the entire Philippine sports as well.

It was a resounding slap at Olympism, if not humanity, for the sheer unjustness of it all.

And to think we love to take pride in saying we, being commonly, if not fondly, labeled as real sportsmen, are the true guardians of sportsmanship.

Duh!

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