A spit in democracy’s face

If Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. were the strongman of a military junta, some of his regime members would relish yanking the carefully cantilevered epaulets off his shoulders.
But with no worthy leader in sight, the disgruntled generals would find it risky to plot the overstaying Cojuangco’s ouster.
Such a banana republic scenario has become synonymous with the POC under Cojuangco’s unproductive 12-year rule, marked by our athletes’ multiple debacles on the international stage.
It could very well be the new normal for another four years after a champion secretly hoped for by the POC’s sullen soldiers challenged Cojuangco to a democratic vote, only to be cut down at the knees by Peping’s toadies.
Ricky Vargas, president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap), filed his candidacy to oppose Cojuangco as POC head.
In a free process, many in Cojuangco’s ruling cabal could jump ship, if they haven’t already to discreetly give Vargas the majority, because they want to be present at the re-creation of the POC without Peping Almighty, finally.
Vargas’ run gives the 82-year-old former Tarlac congressman a headache and a creditable opposition—his first since edging the late presidential brother Arthur Macapagal in 2008 by a mere two votes, 21-19.
With a redirection agenda that includes good governance sans politics, the 64-year-old Vargas hopes to turn PH sports around for the sake of our athletes.
But even before he beat the deadline for filing last Monday, Vargas faced the specter of disqualification. Leave it to Cojuangco and his sycophants to rig the election way before the POC polls on Nov. 25.
The Damocles sword hanging over the business executive’s candidacy fell Wednesday when the POC’s commission on elections predictably barred Vargas via a technicality on general assembly attendance.
As a candidate, Vargas fulfills the POC bylaw that says he must have served as the president of a national sports association for four years.
He falters via an election provision that says he must have regularly attended the bi-monthly meetings of the general assembly—a social club at best, says colleague Ding Marcelo—for two consecutive years because he hasn’t.
Vargas has until Nov. 2 to seek legal remedy, protest the POC comelec’s decision or ponder the futility of such actions.
But Cojuangco and company have already given nastiness new meaning by preventing Vargas from running.
Peping has spat in the face of democracy to satisfy his ego and personal ambition on Election Day.