Cojuangco, Macapagal teaming up?

A team-up between Jose Cojuangco and Art Macapagal is slowly shaping up and is already being dubbed as the “Dream Team” for the coming POC elections.

“Everybody is suggesting that,” said POC spokesman Jose Romasanta yesterday amid reports that Cojuangco, the incumbent president, is trying to lure Macapagal to be his chairman.

Cojuangco, of equestrian, is seeking a second term while Macapagal, of shooting, is eyeing the top post, too.

“The POC members are starting to feel uncomfortable. It’s getting to be too serious,” said Romasanta with still a lot of time left before the elections set on the last week of November.

“Everybody is starting to feel the pressure. Alam na ng kabila that you’re with the other group and yet they still come to you and seek your vote as if it’s a matter of life and death,” he added.

“And it’s not looking good anymore. It’s almost turning out to be a national campaign when we’re only talking about 40 votes here,” the POC spokesman said.

Cojuangco, who has his own group, is counting on the big Go Teng Kok (athletics) bloc while Macapagal enjoys the support of the Celso Dayrit (fencing) and Robert Aventajado (taekwondo) groups.

Dayrit was POC president from 2000 to 2004 while Aventajado is serving out his second term as chairman. They have their own followings, too.

Macapagal is looking at Aventajado as his chairman for the coming elections while Cojuangco is considering Monico Puentevella of weightlifting and Manny Lopez of boxing.

But suddenly, this Cojuangco-Macapagal team-up is being talked about.

Go said the Cojuangco group is seriously looking at the possibility of having Macapagal as their chairman.

“I’m hoping we could sit down with Mr. Macapagal. We want to show him that we already have the numbers in the elections. We want him as chairman,” said Go, who claims to enjoy the support of 12 voting members.

“I’m not saying it’s becoming too politicized,” said Romasanta.

But he said that the growing divisiveness “may not be good for the POC in the end.”

A unified ticket bannered by Cojuangco and Macapagal therefore could be the solution.

“Then the elections will be a mere acclamation,” said Romasanta.