POC polls: Who can and who can’t run?

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the three-man panel overseeing the coming POC elections will sit down today hoping to finalize the list of qualified candidates for the Nov. 30 exercise.

Fireworks may be expected before, during and after the meeting.

The POC panel includes former congressman Victorico Chaves, La Salle’s Bro. Bernie Oca and Ateneo’s Ricky Palou. POC sec-gen Steve Hontiveros will attend the meeting.

On top of the agenda will be the candidacy of athletics chief Go Teng Kok who decided to challenge incumbent POC president and equestrian chief Jose “Peping” Cojuangco.

Go waged war against the POC leadership over some serious matters and for his actions he was declared persona-non-grata by the general assembly more than a year ago.

But this did not stop the flamboyant athletics chief to pursue his candidacy which he filed after basketball chief Manny V. Pangilinan pulled out of the race.

There are other candidates facing technicalities for the coming POC elections but none perhaps would be more difficult to tackle than the case of GTK, a former Cojuangco ally.

Palou told The STAR yesterday that the panel is hoping to come up with the final and official list of qualified candidates this week.

“But that’s unless there are objections,” he said.

And since whatever decision they might arrive at will be met by objections, Palou said the panel will be very meticulous in going through the process.

“We will go through each candidate, one by one. We will look at this properly. Like Go Teng Kok who is persona-non-grata to the POC,” said the Ateneo official.

“But what does that really mean? Can he not run in the elections anymore? We will go through it as thorough as possible before we come up with a decision,” said Palou.

Go recently secured a very favorable ruling from the Supreme Court which said that his expulsion from the local Olympic body lacked due process.

Therefore, the controversial sports figure said there’s no stopping him from challenging Cojuangco in the POC elections.