Campaign should be constructive

POC election committee chairman Victorico Chaves wants the campaign for the Nov. 30 polls to be conducted at a high level and plans to host a forum where the candidates will be given the chance to express what the 43 voters can expect if they win.

“It shouldn’t be just an election based on personalities,” said Chaves. “We want the candidates to tell the voters and media what they stand for, what they hope to accomplish if they’re elected.”

Chaves said he’s not thinking of a debate. It’s just an opportunity for the candidates to talk about issues that relate to sports so that voters get a chance to intelligently assess whom they should elect. So much is at stake in the elections and it would be a waste if candidates are voted only because they’re friends or allies or traveling companions.

Besides, it’s time to do away with unproductive factionalism in the POC. There continue to be influence blocs within the General Assembly, identified with this or that POC official. This fragmentation has created an unhealthy environment in the POC, leading to intrigue, influence-peddling and the “bata-bata” system. Ideally, the POC should work as one family and at the end of the elections, there should be a commitment to move forward regardless of which candidate won on whose ticket.

In the planned forum, Chaves said the candidates should be open to answer questions from the audience, not as a form of interpellation but as a way to exchange ideas. The mood should be constructive, not destructive. “The election committee also wants to discuss certain points which may be considered in future elections in the spirit of transparency,” he added. “We can raise these points in the open forum.”

Whether or not Chaves’ proposal will push through is a question mark. The candidates must buy the idea because if they don’t show up, it will be meaningless. I see no reason why the candidates shouldn’t take this chance to speak their minds particularly as there are still undecided voters. Besides, there’s no law barring a voter, who may have leaned towards certain candidates, to change his or her preference. For the good of Philippine sports and to raise the level of the campaign, I’m hoping the forum takes place.

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Last Monday, Chaves convened the election committee to finalize the list of candidates with members Ricky Palou of Ateneo and Br. Bernard Oca of La Salle over lunch at the L’Opera Restaurant in the Fort, Global City. Also attending were POC secretary-general Steve Hontiveros and POC secretary Liza Ner.

The committee took up eligibility cases involving Go Teng Kok, Bambol Tolentino, Manny Lopez, Joey Romasanta and Generoso Dungo. Each case was resolved in a democratic process. I can attest to it as I was present.

Regarding Go, the committee said he would be allowed to run for president on condition the POC Secretariat is officially served the decision of the Supreme Court by a duly-designated sheriff by noon, Nov. 28. Without the receipt of the ruling, Go would not be qualified as a candidate because he was previously declared persona-non-grata and stripped of recognition as an NSA president by the POC General Assembly. Go claims the Supreme Court Third Division has issued a decision upholding his motion for redress with regard to the declaration and expulsion.

However, no official document has been delivered to the POC by a Supreme Court sheriff. A fax of the notice has been in circulation and Chaves himself is in possession of a copy but for binding purposes, the document must be served by a Supreme Court sheriff and received by the POC Secretariat. The fax noted that the Supreme Court Third Division issued a resolution last Sept. 26 dismissing the POC’s petition to stay a ruling by judge Rodolfo Bonifacio of the Regional Trial Court, Pasig City, in Go’s favor. The POC failed to file the necessary arguments to support its petition and was declared in default.

“We’re not disqualifying anyone,” said Palou. “The committee decided that Mr. Go may be eligible to run only if the Supreme Court decision is delivered by a duly-authorized sheriff and received by the POC Secretariat by noon, Nov. 28. This will give the committee at least a day to print the ballots for the elections.”

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As for Tolentino, he was cleared to run for second vice president. He has served as president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines for only four months but previously represented the National Chess Federation of the Philippines as secretary-general in the POC General Assembly. There is no rule prohibiting more than one candidate from a common NSA but the Constitution disallows representation in the General Assembly by more than one official from an NSA. In Tolentino’s unique case, he is qualified as a candidate. But in the event he wins, Tolentino will sit in the General Assembly as representative of cycling.

In Lopez’ case, he filed his candidacy as ABAP vice president. The committee ruled that he is qualified as a candidate representing ABAP but in the elections, he will be allowed to vote only if he has the written endorsement of ABAP president Ricky Vargas attested to by secretary-general Patrick Gregorio. Only the NSA president or secretary-general is allowed to vote without endorsement. Regarding Romasanta, it was pointed out that in 2008, he voted in the POC elections as Philippine Karatedo Federation deputy president and secretary-general. In 2011, he took over as acting president with Go’s expulsion. Regardless of whether or not his assumption as acting president was legal, Romasanta is qualified to run even on the basis of his previous position as deputy president and secretary-general.

Dungo has served as Philippine Volleyball Federation president for only a year and 10 months but logged more than two years representing the NSA as vice president. On that basis, the committee approved his candidacy.

Chaves said for the next elections, the committee is considering to require candidates only from one NSA and with active NSA participation. “We will discuss proposed eligibility requirements and put them in writing,” said Chaves. “We will define what active participation means. Off hand, this will mean representing the country in international competitions with a national team on a regular basis and a yearly program of events.”

The committee will submit the list of candidates, with Go’s conditional inclusion, to an “expanded” POC Board at a meeting on Nov. 14. The “expanded” Board consists of 12 members, including IOC representative Frank Elizalde, four “other” members (deputy treasurer, deputy secretary-general, spokesman, legal counsel) and heads of committees, including arbitration, planning, medical, sports for all, judges and referees, marketing and women’s sports. The proposed forum is tentatively set on Nov. 15.