THE Court of Appeals denied on Tuesday a request by Philippine Olympic Committee officials for a restraining order that would have barred the holding of a reelection on February 23.
In a decision by Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh of the Eleventh Division of the Appellate Court, the CA said “the court finds no ground for the issuance of a TRO.”
The order for a reelection of the position of POC president and chairman was earlier issued by the Pasig Regional Trial Court under Judge Ma. Gracia Cadiz-Casaclang, declaring the 2016 elections that gave Jose 'Peping' Cojuangco a fresh four-year term as POC president null and void and ruling the POC was wrong to disqualify candidate Ricky Vargas over a technicality.
Cojuangco ran unopposed.
“The January 30 ruling of the 11th Division effectively shot down efforts to restrain the conduct of elections on February 23,” said lawyer George S.D. Aquino of Accra law, who is representing Vargas in the case.
“We feel validated in our position that there is no reason for the POC not to proceed with the scheduled elections on February 23 considering the immediately executory nature of the decision,” he added.
The decision came on the eve of a POC general assembly, which Vargas is expected to attend, at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.
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