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BUT MACAPAGAL GROUP ON GUARD

No more oust-Peping calls in POC

By Julius Manicad

03/31/2009

Jose “Peping” Cojuangco will stay as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) until shortly after the 2012 Olympics in London, even if his critics succeed in getting a majority vote, which they claimed would happen soon.

This was assured by Triathlon president Tom Carrasco, who dispelled speculations yesterday that the group of shooting association chief Arturo Macapagal is busy soliciting support to unseat Cojuangco before he concludes the first year of his second term as POC boss.

A solid Macapagal supporter, Carrasco admitted their group has been meeting regularly, but discussions have been limited to “sports-related issues and not about plotting to mount a mutiny.”

The Macapagal bloc has 14 solid members and is on the verge of clinching the support of two more national sports associations (NSAs) in lawn tennis and bodybuilding, hiking its total number to 16. Cojuangco, meanwhile, enjoys the support of at least 21 NSA leaders, but his group is said to be deeply divided into three factions with athletics chief Go Teng Kok and POC chairman Monico Puentevella having their respective supporters aside from those solidly behind Cojuangco.

But should Macapagal decide to seize the leadership, he still needs to gain three-fourths of the 40-man general assembly before they could declare a vote of no-confidence in against Cojuangco.

In 1999, the POC cast a no-confidence vote against then incumbent president Cristy Ramos-Jalasco. Celso Dayrit replaced Ramos-Jalasco as president, but severed his alliance with Go several months after.

At present, Dayrit is a Macapagal supporter while Go remains behind Cojuangco.

But Carrasco said launching a power grab is the least among their priorities.

“It won’t happen, all we want is to fiscalize and have a healthy discussion within the (POC) general assembly,” Carrasco said. “In an organization, there should always be an opposition (group). And we want to assume that role to put the POC in its proper perspective.”

Topping the list of agenda which the Macapagal bloc wants to put on the floor is the financial report of the POC executive council. Carrasco said they have already questioned the 2007 and 2008 financial reports and are still waiting for the official budget report from POC treasurer Julian Camacho for the year 2009.

After the second general assembly, the claimed Camacho has yet to present anything before the body.

“He (Cojuangco) will finish his term, that’s for sure. But he won’t have an easy time. We’ll scrutinize everything from time to time.”

Cojuangco, hounded with various controversies including a call for leadership change in his own equestrian association, flexed his muscle during the previous general assembly, defeating the Macapagal bloc, 18-14, in a balloting called to amend the resolution that authorizes the POC leadership to meddle in the internal affairs of other NSAs.