By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
THE Philippine Olympic Committee will have new leadership after boxing chief Victorico “Ricky” Vargas beat incumbent president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Jr. in elections held Friday, Feb. 23, at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.
Gaining 24 votes to his rival’s 15 in closed-door proceedings among the various National Sports Associations in the country, Mr. Vargas, who heads the Association of Boxing Alliance of the Philippines, prevented a fourth term as POC presidency for Mr. Cojuangco, effectively ending the latter’s 13-year reign in the position.
Also winning at Friday’s elections was cycling federation head and Cavite congressman Abraham Tolentino, who was voted in as POC chairman over table tennis chief Ting Ledesma, 23-15.
Mr. Tolentino ran in the same ticket as Mr. Vargas, making it a double-celebration for their group.
The election victory of Mr. Vargas was a “vindication” of sorts for Mr. Vargas, who ran against Mr. Cojuangco in 2016 but was eventually “disqualified” by the POC election committee at that time over “technicalities,” in particular for failing to be “an active member of the POC general assembly for two consecutive years at the time of their election” as stipulated in Article 7 Section 11 of the POC charter.
The group of Mr. Vargas contested the decision and filed for a temporary restraining order at the Pasig Regional Trial Court, which later denied the petition.
A breakthrough though happened in December last year when the Vargas camp won an election case it filed at the Pasig RTC.
The court decision ruled that POC elections on Nov. 25, 2016 for Chairman and President is “null and void” and set a re-election for Feb. 23, 2018.
“We are committed to the athletes. We are going to make it happen and set things right,” said Mr. Vargas to waiting mediamen after their election victory.
He went on to say that they will immediately start work and prepare for the country’s campaign in the Asian Games later this year and next year’s Southeast Asian Games, which the country is hosting.
Serving as officials for the elections on Friday were former International Olympic Committee Representative Frank Elizalde, Bro. Bernie Oca of De La Salle and POC lawyer Alberto Agra.
Mr. Vargas will continue the POC term of Mr. Cojuangco, which was supposed to end in 2020.
Mr. Cojuangco left the election venue after his defeat and declined to give a comment, saying he will make a statement in due time.
