Chaos mars TBTK polls

Elections failed as shouting matches rule the day

If three is a crowd, then how do you describe a scene when scores of participants of the Tigum Bol-anon sa Tibuok Kalibutan (TBTK) were in a fit of dissenting voices as they assembled to elect the new set of officers of the TBTK? What else but chaos. That exactly was what happened yesterday when the TBTK held its general assembly at the Metro Center Hotel, this city.

2 FACTIONS:

The tumultuous meeting yesterday capped what appeared to be the real situation that threatened the unity of the organization. The factions were believed to be between Betty Veloso Garcia and Dr. Nick Lopez on the other. Lopez is the founding president of TBTK while Veloso is the current chair.

The great division in the TBTK rank and file was first traced during last year's convention of the Confederation of Boholanos in the United States of America and Canada (CONBUSAC) which was held in Houston , Texas. According to Dr. Lopez, it was during this Texas gathering that Veloso reportedly wanted to squeeze in during the meeting with her own concern even if it was not in the agenda. Lito Dano, CONBUSAC president explained during yesterday's TBTK assembly that he prevailed upon Veloso not inserting her agenda during the Texas meeting because the topics were fully loaded.

On the part of Dr. Lopez, what apparently was the “last straw that broke the camel's back” was that he was not accorded the attention he deserved during the TBTK affair held in this city this month. Another flashpoint of the brewing dissension in the TBTK hierarchy was that incident involving the registration of the organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission. With The SEC registration, the official name of the group is now Tigum Bol-anon sa Tibuok Kalibutan Association, Inc. Citing no malicious intention in the registration, Veloso explained that her group did so for purposes of opening a bank account.

ELECTION RULE

With the charges and countercharges hitting alarming proportions in yesterday's meeting, Dano walked out of the meeting leaving behind the warring factions still debating the rules of the elections. A sensitive issue that marred the stormy meeting was the rule that only those TBTK participants who registered until the June 30 deadline were eligible to vote and be voted upon. This touchy contention triggered several instances of shouting matches even if Ted Apalisok, former CONBUSAC president and election chair insisted that the election rule should be followed to the letter. Lawyer Bernardo Calibo, president of Bohol Association in Metro Manila, Inc. (BAMMI) questioned the rule Apalisok was trying to impose in the conduct of the elections. Calibo said his group was unaware of the guideline that June 30 was the deadline for the registration in the assembly and that it would be a requirement for voting in the TBTK elections. It was observed that the TBTK assembly yesterday huddled at least 20 times just to break the impasse on the voting rule.

2 SLATES

Also part of yesterday's chaotic meeting was the frenetic preparations of the two conflicting groups to field their own slates had the elections been held as scheduled. Lopez' group was supposed to field in realtor Purita Ramirez Soliven to challenge the position of chair held currently by Veloso.

Veloso is seeking reelection of her current post.

Both candidates were duly nominated when a balikbayan belonging to Veloso's group stood up and insisted to follow the June 30 registration deadline. There were efforts to salvage a failure of elections by way of a Lopez suggestion that Veloso will be made to serve a term of office until March 2007 and Soliven assuming the remaining period until 2009. But the power-sharing agreement was shot down even before it can see the light of day. Against this raucous backdrop, no elections ever took place and the incumbents gained the upper hand after the Comelec declared a failure of elections. With the holdover set up, the TBTK assembly agreed to meet next year. The venue is yet to be announced.

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