Will Go attend forum?

The POC candidates forum is open to the public and media on the ground floor of the AVR Building in the Philsports Complex tomorrow afternoon but election committee chairman Victorico (Concoy) Chaves said yesterday while conditional presidential candidate Go Teng Kok will be allowed to witness the proceedings as a private citizen, his status as persona-non-grata takes away his eligibility to participate.

Go will only be recognized if and when before the forum begins, the POC Secretariat receives the Supreme Court decision upholding the Pasig Regional Trial Court’s ruling that his expulsion from the POC General Assembly and declaration as persona-non-grate were without due process. The formal delivery of the decision by a Supreme Court-authorized sheriff will also enable Go to run for POC president against reelectionist Jose Cojuangco, Jr. in the Nov. 30 polls.

The election committee has given the Supreme Court up to noontime, Nov. 28, to officially deliver the decision. Beyond the deadline, Go will lose his right to challenge Cojuangco. If the decision is received by the POC secretariat before the forum starts tomorrow, Go will be given the green-light to speak for five minutes as a candidate. If Go shows up tomorrow with the Supreme Court decision still undelivered, he will not be recognized to even ask questions in the open forum.

Chaves said he will attend the “expanded” POC Board meeting today and plans to propose certain qualifying requirements for candidates in future elections. He mentioned two possible rules are to qualify only one candidate from an NSA and to require “active participation” of the NSA being represented. In the election committee meeting last week, Ateneo’s Ricky Palou suggested “active participation” as a future requirement because the representative of an inactive or moribund NSA has no business running for an elective POC position. Chaves said the scope of “active participation” may include the NSA being represented by a national team competing on a regular basis and maintaining a sustainable local league.

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Meanwhile, Go said he finds it mysterious that the POC has not received the Supreme Court document. “The claim of not receiving the Supreme Court decision is so hard to believe,” he said. “Why not just ask the POC lawyers? It was sent by the Supreme Court Third Division dated Sept. 26. We, as respondent, received it and also judge Bonifacio of the Pasig Regional Trial Court and so the POC lawyers Luis Rivera and David Erro. The Supreme Court judicial records furnished us a copy of the document sent. It’s not my fault that the POC doesn’t have the copy. Is it an intentional ignorance or a delaying tactic to prevent my candidacy? Why is the POC afraid of my challenge?”

During the forum, it was suggested that the candidates may distribute leaflets or letters to the attending electorate. There are only 43 voters in the POC elections and they’re expected to be in the audience tomorrow. It was also suggested that the moderator reserves the right to disregard a question that is derogatory, disrespectful and irrelevant. Only the moderator will recognize those who wish to ask questions in the open forum.

To assure the smooth flow of the program, each candidate will be given up to five minutes to speak or make a presentation. At the four-minute mark, the moderator will signal one minute remaining. At the five-minute mark, the speaker will be allowed only to finish his last sentence. There will be no debate. The audience may only ask questions, not engage a candidate in a verbal exchange.

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The seven candidates for Executive Board Member will start the forum, each speaking for five minutes. After the seven presentations, the floor will be open for questions up to 15 minutes. Then the two candidates for Auditor will take their turn. After the second presentation, the floor will once again be open for questions but up to only 10 minutes considering there are only two candidates for Auditor. The same pattern will be followed up to the last presentation of Tom Carrasco, candidate for Chairman.

If the Supreme Court decision is not received, only Cojuangco will speak as candidate for President and the open forum will be for five minutes. If timed accurately, the presentations and open forum should end in 145 minutes or about 2 1/2 hours.