The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) and pole vaulter EJ Obiena finally reached an agreement Wednesday following the fifth and final mediation proceedings facilitated by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Butch Ramirez.

In a statement, the PSC announced that “both parties have agreed to a settlement and the proceedings ended successfully.”

With the development, PATAFA has agreed to endorse Obiena to the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May and the World Outdoor Athletics in Oregon, United States in July.

Both parties have also agreed the endorsement for Obiena’s participation in future competitions “will be subject to the usual rules and regulations of the PATAFA, as observed for the participation of all national athletes.”

The Office of the Solicitor General thru Assistant Solicitor General Justice Bernard Hernandez, and the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. through its Executive Director Atty. Arleo Magtibay and member, Atty. Charlie Ho, lent their expertise, guidance, and support to the historic mediation proceedings, together with the PSC Mediation team led by Atty. Guillermo B. Iroy, Jr., PS’s Executive Director

After the fifth session, PATAFA chief Philip Juico, Obiena and Ramirez met in a private virtual room with Obiena expressing his apologies to the PATAFA, its board members and his teammates.

“Both have assured each other of forgiveness, to start anew and start over,” the statement read.

“Humility really played a big part in this process. The decision to enter into this process was their first step towards a successful resolution,” Ramirez said.

All information discussed and disclosed in the said mediation is confidential as agreed by all parties.

PATAFA and Obiena started their rift in October when the national governing body in the sport accused the world-class pole vaulter for allegedly misusing government funds intended for his Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov.

This led to Juico being declared as “persona non grata” by the Philippine Olympic Committee, the POC Executive Board’s suspension of PATAFA that has been recently deferred during Wednesday’s General Assembly, and Obiena’s initial non-inclusion to the SEAG-bound national team.