ALLOWING Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines president Ricky Vargas and PhilCycling chief’s Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino to run for posts in the Philippine Olympic Committee elections is the right thing to do.
Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said that by doing this, the POC will allow change to happen from within their ranks.
“It’s an election. Let them run. Whoever wins, we support. Let us not divide sports. Let us not divide the POC,” said Araneta, who is one of seven NSA leaders openly supporting the bids of Vargas and Tolentino.
Araneta, who was once part of the good governance task force of the Asian Football Confederation, said there is a need to have accountability in the POC.
The election proceedings in the POC for president and chairman start at 11:30 a.m. today with registration of voters at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.
But there are worries that Vargas and Tolentino will not be allowed to run and be disqualified again.
That is because the POC is again leaving the fate of the two to a three-member election panel, headed by Frank Elizalde, who may have softened on his earlier stand when he led the group in disqualifying Vargas and Tolentino during the 2016 POC polls.
Elizalde was said to have indicated that Vargas can run for the POC presidency, but his stand may still need the approval of the two other members of the election panel, according to Vargas’ spokesman Ed Picson.
Vargas said he is relieved at the development.
“Naturally, I am relieved that Mr. Elizalde has seen it fit to comply with the Court Order. At the end of the day, we all need to act as responsible and law-abiding citizens who respect the rule of law. Otherwise we will have chaos,”
Vargas said as he hopes the other two Comelec members will follow Elizalde’s example.
“Let us have elections, not dissensions. Our athletes are closely watching us. We need to act as mature leaders. Let us give the voters a chance to choose,” added Vargas.
The boxing chief and Tolentino were disqualified by the election panel during the polls in 2016, allowing Peping Cojuangco to run unopposed and secure a new term as president.
But the Pasig Regional Trial Court ruled in favor of the complaint filed by Vargas.
Judge Maria Gracia Cadiz-Casaclang of Branch 155 declared the election for the position of POC president and chairman on Nov. 25, 2016 as null and void, ordering new polls on Feb. 23.
The POC appealed the RTC decision but was denied by the Court of Appeals.