Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines President Ricky Vargas yesterday said the decision to disqualify him to run for the Philippine Olympic Committee presidency is “flawed and defective”.
In a statement, Vargas contends the decision of the election committee citing the lack of due process, both procedural and substantive.
“It must be reversed,” the statement read in his motion for reconsideration filed before the POC Comelec headed by Frank Elizalde.
In his four-point petition, Vargas also stressed the decision “was made without any objection or opposition from a known third party.”
The decision was also hastily rendered without the basic requisite hearing having been accorded to Vargas.
No written resolution was also issued to date by the election committee specifying and explaining the grounds for the exclusion despite the disqualification being made to public via verbal declaration.
The statement also reiterated that the decision to disqualify Vargas is “deemed to be based on a myopic and unsubstantiated interpretation of the words ‘active member’ in the POC General Assembly”.
“’Active member’ is at best a nebulous eligibility requirement that has been left undefined by a clear cut set of parameters and criteria in the POC by-laws,” the statement read.
“Active membership is more than attendance. Physical presence at the general assembly does not equate to active participation,” the statement added.
The POC elections is set on Nov. 25 at a still unspecified venue, with Vargas seeking to challenge incumbent POC President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., who has been in power for the last 12 years.