Former FIDE Secretary General Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino was elected Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President at elections held last week at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

Tolentino got 24 of the 44 possible votes made up of national sports associations, two Olympians from the athletes' commission and the International Olympic Committee representative.

“Now that this is over, we can move forward and focus on the SEA Games,” said Tolentino, who is also a Congressman, and Secretary-General of the National Chess Federation. Tolentino is chairman of PHISGOC, the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee which includes chess among the official sports.

Tolentino, 55, takes over the position vacated by former POC president Ricky Vargas, who resigned last June 18. Tolentino, former POC chairman, will fulfill the rest of Vargas's tenure and will hold office until November 2020.

[Photo: Photo by Beatrice Go/Rappler]