Despite provision, Monico wants POC elections reset

Former Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chair Monico Puentevella believes that putting off the coming POC elections to a later schedule can prove beneficial to all.

Puentevella, president of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas and a voting member of the local Olympic body, will present a motion to the POC general assembly on Wednesday to move the polls early next year.

“Several voting members crucial in this election will not be able to vote personally. They are still based and residing in the provinces due to the nonavailability of flights up to now,” said Puentevella, proposing to reset the elections in January or February.

Puentevella will make this request despite a provision in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) constitution requiring National Olympic Committees to hold elections during Olympic years, even if the Games, in this case, Tokyo 2020, are postponed.POC president and Cavite representative Abraham “Bambol’’ Tolentino dismissed the appeal, saying that calling for the cancellation of the elections this year requires a lengthy process.“It’s not easy, there’s a procedure that should be followed. You have to amend the (POC)constitution and by-laws,” said Tolentino. “We will run out of time before it even reaches the IOC for approval.”

A former representative and mayor of Bacolod City, Puentevella said there’s no assurance that flights will be normal even until Christmas and almost half of the voters are also in their 60s who are vulnerable to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“Why are we in a hurry to expose our voting members to this unhealthy situation? Let us not endanger the lives of our members, some of whom are even in their 80s,’’ said Puentevella.

“If the Olympics has been postponed by the IOC and host Japan due to health reasons, why can’t we?’’ added Puentevella, citing that the International and Asian Weightlifting Federations moved their elections to January next year.

Tolentino seeks a fresh four-year mandate during the Nov. 27 polls to stretch his term until the 2024 Paris Olympics. INQ