Trouble is brewing in the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) as two officials of the country’s biggest business organization questioned the recent conduct of election of officers.
In a statement, former director Jesus Varela said he and immediate past president Benedicto Yujuico filed on Dec. 17, 2021 at the Taguig regional trial court a temporary restraining order (TRO) and/or writ of preliminary injunction against the PCCI Commission on Elections (Comelec) and key chamber officers in connection with what they described as void, illegal and irregular conduct of the 2021 PCCI annual general membership meeting (GMM) and the election of of PCCI directors last Dec. 3, 2021.
Named respondents were Comelec members Antonio Abad, Gregorio Batiller, Ranulfo Payos, Fe Palileo, Carina Agarao and Senen Perlada. Also named were PCCI officers Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., Apolinar Aure and Ruben Pascual.
In the 164-page petition, Varela and Yujuico asked the court to declare null and void the nominations for the election of the board of directors and the election of the PCCI directors as this was in violation of the Revised Corporation Code, PCCI’s By-laws, Omnibus Election Code.
The petitioners alleged the Comelec failed to properly conduct the nominations required for the election of PCCI directors and refused to validate the proxies and ballots during the 2021 GMM.
Yujuico also alleged said actions by the Comelec prevented him as designated person or chairman of the GMM to exercise the rights covered by the proxy forms and ballots and disenfranchised PCCI members who intended to attend and vote during meeting by proxy.
Yujuico said the very conduct of the Comelec during the actual elections on Dec. 3, 2021 rendered the remedies provided under the PCCI By-laws useless as the Comelec refused to address the valid issues and protests raised.
In addition, the complainants also asked the court to void the PCCI organizational meeting held on Dec.r 14, 2021 including any corporate action or board resolution passed and supposedly approved during the said meeting, as well as any meeting, action or representation proceeding from the results of the PCCI election of directors during the 2021 GMM.
Yujuico said during his term, he strongly pushed for institutional reforms aimed to enhance the PCCI’s operations and enable it to provide better services to members. These reforms include term limits for the PCCI president, direct voting and measures that promote greater participation of local chambers in PCCI national affairs.
Yujuico said what transpired during the recent PCCI elections validated the need to implement these reforms.
