A faction in the Philippine Karatedo Federation (PKF) pressed for its reinstatement as the official national sports association even as its leaders sought the unification of the two factions through an arbitration process under the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
During Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Tapa King Restaurant in Cubao, Jose Manansala Jr., president of PKF 1987 Inc., insisted his faction is the official NSA for karate by virtue of a court decision that has stopped the group of POC vice president Jose Romasanta from representing the sport.
Manansala said his group, which represents some 30 karate clubs nationwide and five international groups, is amenable to the unification of all karate organizations nationwide, but indicated that this should be done by the POC arbitration committee, which handles NSA-related issues.
Manansala said his faction has taken the initiative to ask the POC under the leadership of president Ricky Vargas and chairman Bambol Tolentino to reinstate PKF 1987 Inc. as the official NSA for karate.
The PKP’s breakup took place in 2011 as an offshoot of a conflict between then POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and PKF acting president Go Teng Kok, Manansala said.
Romasanta, a key Cojuangco ally, formed a breakaway NSA, which was subsequently recognized by the POC.
But the court acting on Go’s complaint ruled against Romasanta’s group, declaring as null and void its actions and stopping Romasanta’s lieutenants Raymond Lee Reyes and Enrico Vasquez from representing the PKF, said Manansala, who was accompanied in the public sports program backed by San Miguel Corp., Tapa King, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) by his secretary general Nesto Asido.
Manansala said his faction has been working to regain its official recognition over the last seven years, but “the POC hierarchy never gave us the chance to due process to justify our legal claim.”
