TROs may scuttle POC polls, Chaves warns

A court injunction against the Philippine Olympic Committee elections scheduled on Friday could lead to the cancellation of the crucial POC political exercise, the head of the POC’s poll body warned yesterday.

“If there is court injunction such as a temporary restraining order on the elections and anyone involved in it, then we might have to cancel the elections,” former Congressman Victorico Chaves, the POC’s Commission on Elections chairman, said at the PSA forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch in Manila.

“I myself will not be involved in it (the POC elections) because an injunction would be tantamount to government intervention, which the International Olympic Committee frowns upon,” Chaves said. “The POC might find itself in trouble if we push through with it.”

Chaves, Bro. Bernie Oca of La Salle and Ricky Palou of Ateneo were designated as the members of the POC poll body.

Chaves was responding to reports that some quarters might ask the courts to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the POC elections pitting incumbent president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and shooting head Art Macapagal Jr. set at Alabang Golf and Country Club inside the Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City.

A former volleyball association president and one of the principal authors of the law that created the Philippine Sports Commission, Chaves said he had been hearing reports of a possible TRO, including that involving archery president Elena Brawner.

Brawner is identified with the Cojuangco camp and whose legitimacy is reportedly being questioned by a group of national archers led by Kit Cojuangco.

“Those against Brawner claim that she resigned in 2007. However, it is also on record that the National Archery Association of the Philippines board refused to accept her resignation,” Chaves said in the session sponsored by Accel, Brickyard Gym, Aspen Spa and Med Central Diagnostics Center.

He also noted the case of football general secretary Pablito Araneta, a candidate for second vice president in Macapagal’s ticket, who is also being questioned because he had not served his post for two years, as required by the POC election guidelines.

“But Mr. Araneta wrote me that he was also previously the Philippine Football Federation vice president before being appointed as general secretary, and has the documents to prove it, “ Chaves said. “So under POC rules he is eligible to run.”

However, he said, that he has not received any notice of a court injunction and, in fact, revealed that the voters’ list has already been certified by the POC Executive Board where POC chairman Robert Aventajado, an ally of Macapagal, and Cojuangco are both members.

Chaves said the representatives from the 40 national sports associations that will cast their votes during the elections, which will done through secret ballot, have also been named.

He said that he and other Comelec members will be strict in enforcing the voting guidelines, based on the POC charter.