At A Glance
- The counsel of Rodolfo Soriano has filed a complaint with the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) board of trustees against the Nomination and Election Committee (NOMELEC) which is tasked to oversee the NGAP elections set for April 5 at the Alabang Country Club.
The counsel of Rodolfo Soriano has filed a complaint with the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) board of trustees against the Nomination and Election Committee (NOMELEC) which is tasked to oversee the NGAP elections set for April 5 at the Alabang Country Club.
Lawyer Jan Freeman Villegas put to task the NOMELEC for rejecting Tagaytay Highland’s nomination of Soriano which he termed as “incongruous and in violation of the right of a regular member club under Section 5 of the New By-Laws of the NGAP.”
The NOMELEC set the start of the submission of nominations on Jan. 26 but only announced it on Feb. 15, according to Villegas.
In the upcoming polls, NGAP President Martin Lorenzo's bid for a third term faces a strong challenge from the camp of former Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo.
“How can the NOMELEC set a deadline 40 days before February 26 for the nomination to the board of trustees when NOMELEC’s composition including its members was not yet confirmed until January 25?” Villegas asked.
The counsel also argued that not all golf clubs received the Feb. 15 announcement on time.
In the case of Tagaytay Highlands, Villegas said it received the e-mail only on Feb. 22 – four days before the deadline – at 10:45 p.m.
Villegas appealed to the NGAP board of trustees to uphold the right of every member club as enshrined in its Article of Incorporation and New By-Laws, protected by the State and the Constitution.
The current NGAP board is under fire for not holding elections last year as required by its constitution and by-laws.
Only when the Iloilo Golf and Country Club raised the issue did the NGAP board announce elections on April 5.