The election fever in the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is entering its final stretch with International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski becoming the first executive to cast her vote.
POC election committee chairman Teodoro Kalaw IV said Cojuangco-Jaworski has to fly to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland so they allowed her to cast her ballot on Tuesday night, three days ahead of the polls set this Friday at the East Ocean Palace Restaurant in Pasay City.
A former Asian Games gold medalist and daughter of former POC chief Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, the 50-year-old Cojuangco-Jaworski enjoys the privilege of voting for the next POC chief for being the IOC representative to the country since 2013.
She is also a member of the IOC Executive Board and a member of powerful commissions like the Women in Sports, Olympic Education and Communications.
She will be in Lausanne as part of her commitment in the Olympic Education commission.
Aside from Cojuangco-Jaworski, two athletes — Olympians Ernest John Obiena of athletics and Nesthy Petecio of boxing — will also cast their votes as well as 58 national sports association (NSA) leaders.
“While NSA leaders get to have three choices (president, vice president and secretary general) as to who can cast their ballots in this year’s POC elections, our three individual voters (two athletes representatives and the IOC representative to the Philippines), do not have such discretion as their vote is personally theirs and not attributed to an organization,” Kalaw said in a social media post with Cojuangco-Jaworski handing him a sealed ballot in the presence of POC secretariat member Jean Wico.
“So when our IOC representative has to fulfill her duties this Friday to chair the IOC Olympic Education Commission, we in the POC Elecom had no choice but to allow her to vote onsite.”
“Hence, here is the record of Mikee Jaworski depositing her sealed ballot with me this evening for the elections this Friday.”
Incumbent POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino of cycling is shooting for a fresh four-year term but is being challenged by POC auditor Joaquin “Chito” Loyzaga of baseball.
Also shooting for key spots in the POC executive board are Alfredo “Al” Panlilio of basketball for first vice president; Robert Bachmann of squash, Cong. Richard Gomez of modern pentathlon, and Carl Irving Sambrano skateboarding for vice president; Dr. Jose Raul Canlas of surfing for treasurer; and Donaldo Caringal of volleyball and Rodrigo Roque of weightlifting for auditor.
Meanwhile, hoping to become POC board members are Alvin Aguilar of wrestling, Ferdinand Agustin of jiu-jitsu, Leonora Escollante of canoe-kayak, Leah Gonzales of fencing, Charlie Ho of netball, Peter Miguel of archery, Alexander Sulit of judo, Steven Virata of equestrian and Myrna Yao of gymnastics.
Kalaw will supervise the polls with the help of Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo and Letran College Calamba president Fr. Napoleon Encarnacion.