LOOK at this: Joey Romasanta is either the president or not the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
This has been pointed out by no less than Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, himself the POC chairman.
Tolentino said that under the POC By-Laws, Article 7 of Section 6 says a special election may be called by the chairman within 30 days from the date that the POC president has resigned, and with the successors not constitutionally qualified.
When Ricky Vargas announced his stunning resignation last week as POC president, the natural successor was Romasanta—Romasanta being the POC first vice president.
But the POC Charter says only a president of a National Sports Association (NSA) may become POC president.
Since Romasanta is vice president of volleyball, he may not be qualified as POC president.
The next in line to succeed Vargas might be the POC second vice president, Antonio Tamayo.
However, Tamayo is disqualified outright as he is president of an NSA (soft tennis) that is not an Olympic sport.
The rules only allow a president of an Olympic-affiliated NSA to become POC president.
Even as Vargas has departed the post he had so earnestly fought for that he even went to court and eventually win the presidency through a court-ordered re-election procedure in 2017, the POC has remained in a bind.
The next most glaring POC issue is Romasanta’s raging passion to gain control of the SEA Games preparations now being undertaken by Alan Peter Cayetano as the government-assigned organizing committee chair.
As the “new” POC president, Romasanta wants Cayetano kicked out, claiming the POC is the “rightful franchise owner” of the Games “as mandated by the SEAG Federation Council.”
Crucial, therefore, for Tolentino would be his proposal for the General Assembly to elect a new POC president on Tuesday, June 25.
Does Tolentino have the numbers to push for a new election? If yes, is Romasanta screwed as he is not an NSA president?
This early, I see one dude as a very interested spectator: Alan Peter Cayetano.