Peping stays as POC prexy

By Ivan Saldajeno

TAGUIG--Peping Cojuangco secured a fourth term as POC president after going unopposed during the elections on Friday at the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong.

The 82-year-old Cojuangco got the needed majority vote to stay as the head of the IOC's Philippine arm in the election that was threatened to be postponed after a TRO motion was filed by his supposed opponent, ABAP chief Ricky Vargas.

[Related Story: POC election pushes through as Vargas' TRO plea junked]

The Pasig City RTC junked Vargas' plea owing to what he claimed as "vagueness" of the active member rule set by the POC for those who will run for the electoral posts, paving the way for the election to push through. Vargas was disqualified because of the said rule, which states that members of the POC should attend at least majority of the general assemblies set by the organization in order for them to be called "active".

Vargas and supposed running mate Bambol Tolentino, despite being very active in leading ABAP and PhilCycling respectively, only attended one general assembly each.

Meanwhile, the election for the POC chairman, in which Tolentino was a supposed aspirant, did not push through as his opponent, Tom Carrasco, was also disqualified after he was declared ineligible due to his resignation as TRAP president. Only the president of a particular NSA can declare his candidacy for the POC president and chairman posts.

Despite Carrasco's disqualification, Cojuangco's team would virtually sweep the other electoral spots as LVPI president Joey Romasanta was renamed first vice president, Perpetual Help's ManCom representative Jeff Tamayo, who is representing the Philippine Soft Tennis Association was named second vice president, and Julian Camacho remained as treasurer.

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