NSA support for Vargas snowballs as court-ordered poll draws near

Ricky Vargas. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

The momentum for change in the Philippine Olympic Committee is gaining steam, with the camp of Ricky Vargas claiming Wednesday that it has the support of 27 national sports associations in Friday’s elections of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Led by Alliance of Boxing Associations of the Philippines’ executive director Ed Picson and weightlifting boss Monico Puentevella, the group said they have the majority to allow Vargas and cycling’s Bambol Tolentino to run for POC president and chair, respectively.

Both Vargas and Tolentino were barred from running on Nov. 25, 2016, for failing to meet the “active membership” rule which requires presence in the majority of the GAs—held every other month—for the past two years.

That allowed POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. to win his fourth term unopposed—a victory the Vargas group has contested in court. The Regional Trial Court of Pasig recently upheld Vargas’ motion.

But the Vargas camp isn’t divulging the names of the NSAs who signed the petition lest they risk experiencing “overnight magic.”

Some 43 NSAs will cast their vote on Friday but several NSA personalities in Vargas’ camp were in danger of losing the right to vote.

That includes Puentevella, a former POC chair and first vice president, who has been replaced by Roger Dullano as president of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas. Shooting’s Richard Fernandez was also disqualified from voting—reportedly after moves by the Cojuangco camp to replace him with former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson.

The Vargas camp is countering these moves by seeking a clarification from the court on what the date of record is on its order. If the court concludes that the date of record is the elections in 2016 that Cojuangco won, then the voters of then would be the ones eligible to vote on Friday.

Puentevella and Fernandez are also set to file protest with the POC commission of elections that included former International Olympic Committee representative Frank Elizalde.

“NSAs that we didn’t expect to go with us, did. The time for change and reform has come,” said Picson.

Fernandez, Nonong Araneta (football), Robert Bachmann (squash), Karen Caballero (sepak takraw), Cynthia Carion (danscesports) also attended the presser held at Valle Verde Country Club Wednesday.

They dispelled the possibility of the POC invoking the same “active membership” clause, saying they will “call for the division of the house” to hold the elections and do away with the definition of the POC provision.

“It’s the general assembly which has the domain, it has the power to overrule everybody and call for an election,” added Puentevella.

Meanwhile, Cojuangco supporter Ting Ledesma (table tennis) has filed for candidacy for POC chair.