Another “word war” is likely to escalate after a report that the Philippines might be banned from competing in major events, including the Paris Olympics in July, unless the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) completely complies with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code.
The WADA made the warning in a notification to the PSC dated January 23that stressed its non-compliance of the WADA Code.
The PSC, chaired by Dicky Bachmann, was notified through the Philippine National Anti-Doping Agency (Phinado) in September last year to comply with the WADA Code but has barely responded since.
The WADA gave the PSC four months to comply with the deadline already expiring last Monday.
“Should the outstanding non-conformities not be solved by 22 January 2024, the Philippines Sports Commission would be automatically alleged as non-compliant by WADA’s Executive Committee,” said the notice, which was signed by WADA Director General Olivier Niggli.
The WADA said the PSC has to comply with the code on developing and implementing effective, intelligent and proportionate Test Distribution Plan and include all Registered Testing Pool athletes from sports or disciplines, among others.
The WADA pinpointed a case of an athlete who yielded a positive anti-doping result in 2016 but wasn’t notified by the PSC or its anti-doping arm.
The Montreal-based agency gave the PSC until February 13 to dispute “WADA’s allegation of non-compliance and/or the consequences of non-compliance and/or the reinstatement conditions proposed by WADA.”
The PSC, which has been at loggerheads with the Philippine Olympic Committee since last year’s Hangzhou Asian Games, slammed the allegation.
A PSC source said they have long complied with the WADA Code.
“Nag-overlap yung letter, before the WADA warning we have already complied,” the source stressed.
But another POC source said the PSC has failed to address the most important one – that it must ensure all cases are prosecuted in a timely manner and must simultaneously notify all parties with the right to appeal, including WADA and the applicable NADO or IF, of the decision in a case.
The Paris Games is slated on July 26 to August 11.
