PHILIPPINE Tennis Association presidential aspirant Jean Henri Lhuillier has expressed disgust over the latest postponement of the association’s elections scheduled yesterday.
“Mayor (Edwin) Olivarez has already spoken and he has vouched his support for me. Even Col. Andrada has done the same months ago. The Philippine Olympic Committee has been doing its best also to mediate for the betterment of Philippine tennis. So I don’t understand all these postponements anymore,” said Lhuillier.
He added: “Someone who has a vested interest is clearly behind this. All I want is to have a fair election done for the sake of the stakeholders especially the players. We should hold this immediately to save the country’s participation in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games.”
The sport’s top backer also questioned the recent move of some Philta board members to elect a new board member in Atty. Antonio Cablitas, a few days prior to a supposed election.
“Something’s fishy with that. Why do that now? The timing and method are very questionable. It was hastily done and there was not even a quorum,” added Lhuillier.
The Philta elections has been postponed four times already starting last Feb. 8, 2017 when the presidency was not opened for elections after Andrada announced that “he’s staying as president”.
Stakeholders have since then withdrawn support to Philta and have expressed support to Lhuillier. A total of close to 120 tournaments have pulled out from Philta calendar and have joined the Unified Tennis Group which was formed by various stakeholders of the sport.