Loyzaga: Panlilio and Canlas 'adopted candidate'

BASEBALL chief Joaquin ‘Chito’ Loyzaga on Friday clarified that Al Panlilio of basketball and surfing head Dr. Raul Canlas is not part of his official line-up but an ‘adopted candidate’ for the coming election in the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

“I would like to address the recent statements made by Al Panlilio and Dr. George Canlas regarding their inclusion in our list of supported candidates. Before releasing our media statement and promotional materials, we communicated with both Panlilio and Canlas, informing them that we would be adopting their candidacies. This approach aligns with election rules and is not against any regulations,” said Loyzaga, a former PBA legend and Commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Loyzaga challenges incumbent POC President Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino for the top post in the country’s highest sports body in the November 29 election.

Both Panlilio and Canlas in a statement said they are committed to Tolentino.

” It is important to note that the official records for the POC election are the candidacy documents submitted to the POC Administration and Election Commission. Press releases, such as ours, serve the purpose of informing and promoting candidates to all National Sports Associations (NSAs).

“The POC election process is structured to ensure fairness by having voters choose candidates for specific positions through a secret ballot. Each vote is cast individually, not as part of a group or slate, allowing every candidate to be chosen based on their merits,” said Loyzaga in a statement to the media.

“We believe that Panlilio and Canlas have the leadership qualities needed to contribute to a peaceful, inclusive, and transparent POC. Their addition to our list was meant to highlight their capability to further the interests of Philippine sports and the well-being of our athletes. Our actions were always intended to promote transparency and support a democratic process where every candidate is recognized for their commitment and dedication to sports development,” added Loyzaga.

Included in Loyzaga’s ticket are Robert Bachmann of squash racket (2nd Vice President),  Rod Roque of weightlifting (Auditor), while his five-member of the Board are Rep. Peter Miguel (archery), Dr. Charlie Ho (netball), Rommel Miranda (kurash), Derek Ramsay (gymnastics) and Steven Virata (equestrian).

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