Court nullifies karate federation polls

MANILA—There’s no end, it turned out, for the karatedo mess.

The Regional Trial Court of Pasig City has declared null and void the Philippine Karatedo Federation elections held last May 25 in Bacolod City and enjoined Enrico Vasquez and Emman Velez from serving as president and deputy president, respectively.

In a decision penned by judge Rodolfo Bonifacio last July 26, the court also nullified the May 20 PKF notice of elections sent to the PKF general assembly.

But Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., who said he has yet to see the court order, said the decision is tantamount to government intervention.

“No law or court can interfere (in POC affairs), once they do that we’re subject to suspension by the [International Olympic Committee] due to government interference,” said Cojuangco during yesterday’s Usapan POC on radio.

Former PKF president and POC spokesman Joey Romasanta said that based on the court ruling, he would automatically assume the top PKF position because he was the one who called the elections.

But athletics chief and PKF former president Go Teng Kok, who filed the court case questioning the PKF election, said he should be the legitimate karatedo boss.

Go claimed that the court case had prompted the POC to declare him persona non grata, and later led to a signature campaign to expel him from the POC.