Vargas faces tall odds
ABAP president Ricky Vargas (right) during the announcement of Gilas’ final lineup last month. PBA IMAGES
Can boxing association president Ricky Vargas finally run in the Philippine Olympic Committee presidential elections on Nov. 25?
This will be answered today when the POC elections committee meets Vargas and Cavite Rep. Bambol Tolentino of PhilCycling to deliberate on their disqualification cases.
Vargas and Tolentino failed to attend the General Assembly meetings for at least two years, a prerequisite to qualify as candidate in the POC’s two highest posts.
Vargas and his battery of lawyers, including former PBA commissioner and lawyer Chito Salud, will face the committee at a coffee shop in Pasig.
Vargas earlier filed a motion for reconsideration after being disqualified from challenging 82-year-old Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., who is seeking an unprecedented fourth term as POC.
Vargas’ disqualification triggered a widespread but silent protests from several national sports association chiefs who languished under the 12-year presidency of Cojuangco.
Like Vargas, most NSA heads want changes and reforms in Philippine sports. But Vargas can only do this if the election committee will reverse its earlier decision.
However, Vargas’ chances are almost nil because the three-man committee was organized by secretary-general Steve Hontiveros, a known attack dog of Cojuangco, and is headed by former International Olympic Committee representative to the Philippines Frank Elizalde, an ally of the POC chief for the longest time.
Vargas will need no less than divine intervention in order to oust Cojuangco.
The only opponent that Cojuangco faced fair and square in an election was the late Arturo Macapagal of shooting in 2008. Cojuangco won by the slimmest of margins, 21-19.
In 2011, Go Teng Kok of athletics was declared persona non grata by the POC. This after Go and the POC had a tussle in the affairs of the karate association, which Go had served as president. Thus, Go failed to challenge Cojuangco in the elections the following year.
Go later relinquished the presidency of the athletics association to Philip Ella Juico.
