Obiena is now facing a threat of being expelled from the national pool upon recommendation by PATAFA’s investigative committee over misappropriated funds and is said to be followed by a criminal complaint.

Nevertheless, POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino vowed yesterday that the league will be supporting Obiena to represent the country in all world competitions.

“We in the POC will make sure EJ will be in Hanoi and Huangzhou and in all other major world competitions, we’ll fight for EJ,” said Tolentino.

Tolentino also said that the act of the PATAFA is not surprising at all saying it is a “vengeful act that shuts down the chances of the Philippines from its Olympic dream” from chief Philip Ella Juico.

Still, the final decision will still be in the hand of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the government’s sports agency.

“Will the PSC allow EJ to be stricken off from the national team (SEA Games and Asian Games year)? Will the government allow a world-class athlete to be out of the national team? Will the PSC allow one gold medal to be lost in Huangzhou long before the Asian Games?” he explained.

“Will sports stakeholders — the public, especially, allow EJ to be out of the national team?”