HINDI makatutulong baskus makasasama sa Philippine sports ang diskarteng pamumulitika at paninira para makumbinsi ang mayorya sa kandidatura ng ilan sa Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) leadership.

Ito ang nakadidismayang pahayag ni Tagaytay City Rep. Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino hingil sa aniya’y ‘unsportsmanlike and malicious methods’ na ginagamit ng kalabang grupo ilang linggo bago ang isasagawang POC election sa Nobyembre 27.

“I, being a long time legislator and public servant, my accomplishments in public service has been my best form of political campaign,” pahayag ni Tolentino, target ang re-election para sa POC presidency.

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“I will not do falsehood in order to win and will remain the same even in the POC elections,” ayon sa Philippine Cycling Federation president sa kanyang sulat na may petsang Nobyembre 17, 2020 para sa lahat ng POC voting member

“It came as a surprise to me that Atty. Clint Aranas and his cohorts are now resorting to ungentlemanly tactics just to win the POC elections. I consider these actions as unsportsmanlike, foul, malicious and below-the-belt,” aniya.

Nitong Huwebes, hiniling ni Aranas, pangulo ng Archery Association of the Philippines at tanging makakalaban ni Tolentino sa POC top post, sa POC Comelec na pinamumunuan ni Atty. Teodoro Kalaw IV, ang diskwalipikasyon ni Tolentino, gayundin ng ka-tiket nitong sina Tom Carrasco bilang Chairman (triathlon), Cynthia Carrion bilang treasurer (gymnastics) at board members Dr. Raul Canlas (surfing) at Dave Carter (judo).

Batay sa protesta ni Aranas, direktang lumabag si Tolentino at kanyang mga kagrupo sa election charter ng POC bunsod nang pagtanggap ng buwanang allowances sa Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) sa nakalipas na 2019 SEA Games sa Manila.

Sa isyu ni Canlas, sinabi ni Aranas, na hindi pa umano nakukumpleto ng apat na taon bilang pangulo ng Surfing Association, habang ang Judo ni Carter ay kasalukuyang suspindidio sa Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Ayon kay Tolentino, may mga isyu rin sa membership ang ilang national sports associations (NSAs) na sumusuporta kay Aranas, ngunit isinasantabi niya ito upang maisagawa ng maayos ang POC election.

“I have gone over the different NSA’s and found some of them to have questionable qualifications to run in any position for this election. I was [suggested] to file a protest and even to have those NSA’s declared non-qualified,” aniya. “However, I decided not to do that because I would like all the NSAs to be heard and be duly represented to cast their votes.”

“I have been in all stages of political preparations for elections and I have never smeared any name or suggest any damaging remarks against my opponents. In that aspect, I also win my opponents’ respect,” sambit ni Tolentino.

“Sorting to character assassination and black propaganda “is not on my list of political arsenal.” I am therefore pleading for my opponents to be prudent to preserve the spirit of Olympism and sportsmanship. Let us all deal with qualifications only. Lawyers, please act like lawyers and stick to the issues. You need not draft your papers that will induce your client to magnify matters that are out of the issue at hand,” ayon kay Tolentino.