BAMBOL TELLS OTHERS: KEEP YOUR WORD

Philippine Olympic Committee chair Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino suggested that the POC elections be held not later than July 18 to end the internal conflict hounding the organization.

Tolentino, who formalized his resignation early Tuesday, said the vacuum created by those POC officials who resigned must be filled as soon as practical in accordance with the local Olympic body’s constitution and bylaws.

Tolentino told the Inquirer, in a separate interview over the phone, that he tendered his written resignation only because the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic council of Asia asked for it.

“Otherwise,” Tolentino said, “my verbal resignation is binding. And I expect the others [in the executive board] who also resigned verbally, to keep their word.”

The July 5 election date that Tolentino earlier brought up won’t be possible anymore after the IOC and the OCA instructed the POC to set the stage for the proper conduct of the polls.

“While I am amenable to a request for postponement if the IOC or OCA wishes it, elections cannot be held later than July 18 because the POC provisions mandate that the vacancy in the presidency must be filled within 30 days,” said Tolentino.

Former POC president Ricky Vargas stepped down from his post on June 18, leaving POC first vice president Joey Romasanta to succeed Vargas in an acting capacity.

Romasanta and the other members of the board, in that meeting, all resigned verbally.

Tolentino declared that he will seek the POC presidency even if he doesn’t have the numbers. He also told the Inquirer that Romasanta is not qualified to do so because he is not a president of an Olympic sport-National Sports Association.

Clint Aranas is widely reported to be Tolentino’s foe, but Tolentino, the cycling president, also told the Inquirer that Aranas is not qualified because he lacks the necessary tenure as the archery president.

“We have the documents, all of them,” said Tolentino, who cited a rule that for a candidate to be eligible, should have been president for at least four full years. “He won’t complete his fourth year until December 2019.”