by Nick Giongco
Frank Elizalde, the former International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative to the Philippines for 27 years, will follow a court order ruling that mandates the inclusion of boxing chief Ricky Vargas and cycling head Bambol Tolentino in tomorrow’s Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) elections.
Elizalde, 84, an honorary IOC member since 2012, told the Bulletin on Thursday morning that he will abide by the court order issued by a Pasig court ordering that incumbent (POC) president Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco be challenged by Vargas.
“While I still maintain that they (Vargas and Tolentino) are ineligible (to run), I will follow the court order,” said Elizalde, who arrived from the Winter Games in Korea late Wednesday night.
The court order calls for elections to be conducted tomorrow at Wack Wack but a three-man elecition panel formed by the POC has yet to decide whether Vargas and Tolentino will be allowed to run.
But as far as Elizalde is concerned, they should be given the go-signal to run as per the court order.
“I have been called a lot of names…a cohort, a barkada (of Cojuangco) and I am sick and tired of all this,” said the Harvard-educated Elizalde, who remains a member of POC.
“I don’t want to be cited for contempt,” he said.
Elizalde is set to meet with the two other electional panel members–lawyer Alberto Agra and Bro. Bernie Oca of La Salle–this afternoon to discuss the matter.
But Elizalde insists that the die is cast.
“I will vote that they be allowed (to run) and it’s their call if they will outvote me,” he added.
Vargas and Tolentino were disqualified from running during the Nov. 2016 elections as they did not meet the attendance requirements.
Under POC rules, an NSA head with plans of running for the president has to be an active member of the bi-monthly General Assembly for the last two years.
Vargas and Tolentino were hardly present during those affairs.