ABRAHAM 'Bambol' Tolentino has been given a new mandate as Philippine Olympic Committee president after sounding beating baseball chief Chito Loyzaga in Friday's elections.
Tolentino soundly beat the former Barangay Ginebra player, 45-15 (with one abstention), in elections among 61 voters during the polls held at the East Ocean Palace Restaurant in Paranaque City.
Tolentino has served as POC president from 2019 to 2020, fulfilling the unfinished term of Ricky Vargas after a special election, and from 2021 to 2024 during a regular poll.
Technically, this will be the concurrent Tagaytay City mayor's first term under the new constitution and by-laws of the country's highest Olympic body.
READ Al Panlilio calls for unity, harmony within POC
“I think the performance was the basis,” said Tolentino, who was the POC president when Hidilyn Diaz captured the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games and Carlos Yulo bagged two in Paris.
“Hindi naman para sa amin ‘to eh. Hindi para sa akin, para sa POC, para sa bayan, at para sa atleta. We will continue what we’ve started. United, transparency, ‘yung platform namin will be sustained more for the athletes, athletes, and athletes.”
There were 61 voting members – 58 national sports associations, two members of the Athletes’ Commission in EJ Obiena and Nesthy Petecio, and International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative to the Philippines Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski.
One NSA in rugby football was not present in the proceedings and was not able to vote.
The Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (Philcycling) chief’s fresh mandate will start on January 1, 2025 and will be the POC chief until 2028 where the Philippines will be competing in the Los Angeles Olympics.
Tolentino’s ticket also swept all the other positions.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio ran unopposed for first vice president and received 53 votes. Richard Gomez of modern pentathlon was voted as second vice president with 37 votes, beating Carl Sambrano of skateboarding (22), and Robert Bachmann of squash (1).
Surfing’s Jose Raul Canlas was voted as treasurer, running unopposed and getting 54 vote, while Don Caringal of volleyball tabbed the internal auditor position with 47 votes, beating Rod Roque of weightlifting (12).
Len Escollante of canoe kayak (45), Alvin Aguilar of wrestling (44), Ferdie Agustin of jiu-jitsu (41), Ali Sulit of judo (41), and Leah Gonzalez of fencing (40) took seats in the executive board.
Lawyer Teodoro Kalaw IV was the chairman of the POC election committee with Colegio de San Juan de Calamba rector and president Rev. Fr. Napoleon Encarnacion, O.P., and Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Olivia ‘Bong’ Coo as members.
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