Philip Ella Juico has resigned as president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) following the association’s board meeting Saturday held at the Makati Diamond Residences.
Businessman-sportsman Agapito Capistrano, former PATAFA Executive Vice President and Secretary General, was appointed by the Board to take over the unexpired term of Juico which is up to November 2024.
The Board, however, elected Juico, who has been at the helm since 2014, as Chairman Emeritus.
“The PATAFA shall always remain steadfast to its core values of integrity, honesty, competence and sincerity, the same values required of all PATAFA athletes, coaches and other stakeholders,” Juico said in a statement.
“I am not leaving PATAFA or the sports community, as it is here where my heart lies but for now, I look forward to more family time and an opportunity to concentrate on personal and business interests and ventures and community advocacies.”
Juico, also a former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman, was best known for his local and international initiatives that include conceptualizing and putting place various governance, integrity and transparency reforms in World Athletics upon the assumption of Olympic gold medalist Lord Sebastian Coe as president of world governing body.
Under Juico, the Philippine team garnered 26 gold, 25 silver and 41 bronze medals at the Southeast Asian Games.
Juico and PATAFA were also known to stand their ground in the middle of the controversy involving pole vaulter EJ Obiena over allegations of mishandling of government funds, which was successfully resolved under the mediation of the (PSC).