WILLIAM “Butch” Ramirez, incoming President Rodrigo Duterte’s long-time adviser for sports while still Mayor of Davao City, has finally been convinced to come back as Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission.
Sources speaking on condition that they will not be identified said Ramirez finally agreed to take back the post he once occupied after nearly a month of thinking things over.
He will be bring with him people, who have hands-on experience in handling matters at the PSC in the past and will be named commissioners when he comes aboard.
The incoming administration, according to the source, wants to bring people into the government sports agency with knowledge on what to do, the ins and outs, and having the desire to fix situations.
Ramirez has headed the Davao Sports Development Division since he quit his post as PSC Chairman in 2008.
Ramirez bared that plans are afoot to give equal importance to grassroots development, international sports and elite-level activities.
The search and development for young and talented athletes will be enhanced, set to begin at the soonest time, once the new set of officials are in place in the PSC.
Reviving the Philippine Sports Institute is also among his goals.
A budget of P1.4 billion will be in the hands of Ramirez and the new set of commissioner when they finally sit down and hold office.
The money comes from funds saved by the government sports agency over the last six years.
Outgoing PSC Chairman Ricardo “Richie” Garcia, who is waiting for his replacement, said the money was earmarked as seed money for the purchase of land which will be utilized as a national training center for athletes.