POC prexy Peping Cojuangco eyes third straight term in office

There’s a strong possibility Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. will seek another term of office.

With the traditionally divisive POC elections happening late this year, chances are the local Olympic chief would again throw his hat in the arena for a third consecutive term, a title he has been holding since 2004.

“Most likely, I will run,” said Cojuangco yesterday, two days after returning from a three-week Yuletide vacation in the United States.

Cojuangco didn’t expound his intentions for re-election but pointed out that the POC and the Philippine Sports Commission would sit down probably this week and chart the long-term direction of Philippine sports.

The two sports bodies are working hand-in-hand for the country to redeem itself from a sixth-place finish in the 26th Southeast Asian Games held in Indonesia two months ago.

Cojuangco clinched a second term after narrowly retaining his post by two votes over former shooting chief Art Macapagal in the 2008 POC elections.

At present, no opposition has come forward to challenge Cojuangco’s bid for another four-year term at the helm of the most powerful, non-government sports body in the country.

Held every four years, the POC election is scheduled in an Olympic year or roughly a month right after the Summer Games. The 2012 London Olympics is on July 27-Aug.12.

Under Cojuangco, the Philippines captured the overall title in the Southeast Asian Games for the first time when Manila hosted the biennial meet in 2005.

Team Philippines, however, experienced a performance slide in recent years. From overall champion, the national team finished sixth in the 2007 Thailand Games, fifth in 2009 in Laos and sixth again in Indonesia last year.

Though Cojuangco’s term was marked by a pair of respectable performances in the 2006 and 2010 Asian Games, the Philippines has no Olympic medal to show in 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing during his eight-year reign. /inquirer