Trillanes out to stop POC polls

THE COMING Philippine Olympic Committee elections yesterday faced another threat of suspension following the filing of a court petition for a temporary restraining order by a faction in the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines (Tatap).

Jacinto Omila Jr., chair of a Tatap faction headed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, on Friday sought from the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 a TRO on the POC polls on Nov. 30 at Alabang Country Club.

Omila specifically urged the court to stop the POC-recognized leadership of former national player Ting Ledesma and Annie Andanar from casting their vote for table tennis in the elections.

The Tatap faction’s petition followed a threat from presidential wannabe Go Teng Kok of athletics to seek the court’s assistance in stopping the polls if the POC election committee bars him from running.

Omila claimed that their group is the legitimate Tatap party and should cast table tennis’ vote.

The POC elections committee made up of Ateneo’s Ricky Palou, La Salle Bro. Bernie Oca and former congressman Victorico Chaves will tackle the issue, as well as the eligibility of Go, on Thursday at L’Opera restaurant in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

The POC is planning to file a motion for reconsideration on a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a favorable decision on Go by a lower court.

The high tribunal earlier upheld the decision of the Pasig Regional Trial Court that Go should not be considered persona non-grata by the local Olympic body.

Palou said their committee would wait for the POC’s motion, a lengthy process that could prevent Go from throwing his hat in the ring with only 10 days to go before the elections.

Former congressman Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., who is seeking a third straight term that would end after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, said the elections should push through as scheduled despite the threat of a TRO.