Fireworks are expected when newly-installed Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Joey Romasanta faces the general assembly for the first time since assuming the position vacated by Ricky Vargas last week.

The extraordinary general assembly meeting is set at 1 p.m. today at the Government Service Insurance System gymnasium with Romasanta sitting at the presidential table with his top critic in POC chairman Abraham Tolentino serving as presiding officer.

Tolentino is one of Vargas trusted allies.

In fact, he was with Vargas when he challenged former POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco in a court-ordered election last year.

But a year into his leadership, Vargas got embroiled in a controversy after eight of the 13 POC board members questioned his involvement in the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation, Inc., a body that aims to organize the 30th SEA Games without board approval from the POC.

Vargas is one of the incorporators together with former POC chairman Tom Carrasco, POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio and communications director Ed Picson as well as members of Alan Cayetano’s inner circle like Ramon Suzara, Donaldo Caringal, Monica Mitra and Dexter Estacio.

This is not the proper forum to discuss a special election.

Phisgoc Foundation is largely blamed for the delays and very slow buildup in the SEA Games and reportedly entered into some contracts without the approval of the POC, which is the franchise-holder of the

biennial meet by virtue of its membership in the SEA Games Federation Council.

With the POC board demanding explanation, Vargas opted to resign, prompting Romasanta to take over based on the organization’s rule on succession.

Tolentino questioned the legitimacy of Romasanta’s leadership and hinted that there’s no POC president at this point, paving the way for him to call for a special election being the POC chairman and presiding officer.

But the new POC leadership is simply brushing off the issue.

“We would be ready to answer,” said POC membership committee Robert Bachmann, adding that no election would definitely happen in the crucial general assembly meeting.

“This is not the proper forum to discuss a special election. If they want to tackle it, they should bring it up to the executive council. If the council approves it, then that the time to call for another extraordinary general assembly.”

Aside from the change of leadership, also in the agenda is the updates and assessment of the SEA Games preparation in which the new POC leadership will try to find a way on how the technical handbooks will be produced.

Sources said NSA leaders are already complaining about Phisgoc Foundation’s failure to produce the technical handbooks, which are considered as the heart and soul of the country’s SEA Games hosting.

NSA officials said they have submitted theirtechnicalguidelinesandrequirements to be included in the handbook as early as January. but until now, the organizing body has yet to produce anything.

“The technical handbook is the most important document in our SEA Games hosting. It’s our bible,” said a prominent POC board member in lawyer Clint Aranas.