WHOEVER has the numbers or not won’t matter.
What will matter is that sports officials who are seeking elective positions in the Philippine Olympic Committee are meeting the criteria that they have set, and will be approved by the General Assembly.
POC spokesman Prospero Pichay said this as the General Assembly meets today to discuss the resolutions that have been proposed during the executive board meeting last Friday.
The proposals concern the eligibility of officials and how they will meet the criteria that have been set.
“We’re not concerned about the numbers. We’re concerned about the IOC (International Olympic Committee) suspension. We are guided by the IOC letter that we should talk it among ourselves. That’s our guiding principle. When things are going wrong, always bring it to the GA,” said Pichay in a statement.
Last Friday, the executive board passed a resolution which proposes that top officials of national sports associations who have been active members of the Philippine Olympic Committee for two consecutive years are eligible for election for president and chairman.
The executive board, through POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. will have their decisions subject for approval before the General Assembly in today’s gathering at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.
If approved, the new resolution will be amended into the POC constitution and bylaws, and affirmed by the POC elections committee.
On the legal side, lawyers of the POC will tackle the case that’s going on with the Pasig Regional Trial Court.
The next step is to designate an official representative of a national sports association to the POC general assembly during their extraordinary meeting.
Once resolved, elections can be held on Feb. 23.
Boxing chief Ricky Vargas, who has sued the POC following his disqualification from elections held last year, is expected to settle his issues during the gathering.
Pere Miro, IOC director general for National Olympic Committee relations, gave his advise on the situation that the POC is currently facing.
Miro said that it is up to the POC general assembly, and not the courts, to decide on internal issues concerning elections.
The director general cited Rule 27.6 of the Olympic Charter, which states that the IOC General Assembly has the final authority within the NOC to adopt (and consequently interpret) the NOC constitution, and freely elect the members of the executive board.
The executive board also resolved that each NSA should designate one official representative to the general assembly, and it could be the president, secretary-general or vice president.
They felt that another acceptable interpretation of active membership is that a member must have attended around 50 percent of their meetings.
Without such attendance, their presence is only counted as an observer, and can’t be counted for the purpose of quorum or for voting.
They also resolved that the absence of an elected officer in an executive board meeting at least three consecutive times, or a total of five in year, can be grounds for removal.