TAGAYTAY City mayor Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino will continue to do what he has started since 2019 after getting a second mandate as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee on Friday afternoon.
The 60-year-old Tolentino, who heads the country’s governing body in cycling, emerged as the clear winner to head the POC again after earning 45 votes in his fight for the presidency with baseball chief Chito Loyzaga.
“The general assembly has spoken. I think, it’s the performance, that’s the basis,” said Tolentino during the electoral proceedings held at the East Ocean Palace Restaurant in Paranaque City on Friday.
Loyzaga, a former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission and ex-basketball player for Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA during his younger years, garnered 15 points in his quest for the top position in the POC.
Tolentino began his term in the POC in 2019, serving the remaining term of boxing’s Ricky Vargas when he gave up his post.
In 2020, Tolentino won over former Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association chief Philip Ella Juico for his first four-year term.
“Iyan ang sinasabi ko, hindi para sa amin ito, hindi para sa akin ito, para sa bayan at sa mga atleta ito,” added Tolentino.
It was during Tolentino’s watch when the Philippines won the overall championship in the Southeast Asian Games hosted by the Philippines in 2019.
Tolentino’s POC time also netted for the Philippines its first gold medal in the Olympic Games courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in 2021, plus two more in the 2024 Paris Games via gymnast Carlos Yulo.
A temporary restraining order that was supposedly by filed by squash chief Robert Bachmann did not materialize and not received by the electoral committee during the polls.
Bachmann, who quit from running for the second vice presidential position, alleged that Tolentino was ineligible since he has violated the local government code as an incumbent public official.
A total of 61 officials of national sports associations cast their ballots, with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio taking 53 votes to retain his post as first vice president.
The polling included votes for flag football, cricket and curling after the POC General Assembly gave them the green light to its growing family, following the inclusion of these disciplines in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Modern Pentathlon’s Richard Gomez will stay on as second VP, after beating skateboarding’s Carl Sambrano, 37-22.
Volleyball’s Don Caringal got the nod to become auditor with 47 votes against the 12 of weightlifting’s Rodrigo Roque.
Canoe-kayak’s Len Escollante got the highest number of votes in the polls for the board members at 45, along with wrestling’s Alvin Aguilar (44), Ferdie Agustin (jiujitsu) with 41, fencing’s Leah Gonzales with 40 and netball’s Charlie Ho (24).
Pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and boxer Nesthy Petecio also cast their votes as members of the Athletes’ Commission.
The electoral committee chaired by Atty. Teddy Kalaw with members Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Olivia “Bong” Bong Coo and Colegio de San Juan de Letran president and Rector Fr. Napoleon Encarnacion, OP, pushed through with the polls after it did not receive legal documents not to proceed from the courts.
Earlier, Kalaw’s committee disqualified only candidate one from Loyzaga’s group — executive board candidate Rommel Miranda, who’s no longer the secretary-general of kurash.
