Abalos new Wack Wack Golf & Country Club head

MANILA, Philippines - Former elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr. has been elected president of the Wack Wack Golf & Country Club, replacing Philip Juico.

The new leadership of Wack Wack was announced yesterday in a press statement sent to The STAR.

“It is finally over. After months of heated campaigns for the next set of directors and officers of the prestigious WWGCC, the members have spoken.”

Juico retained a seat on the board.

Abalos served as president of Wack Wack until 2007.

It was during the term of Juico that the club slapped a two-month suspension on Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II for violating regulations of the club last April 6.

Roxas has been a member of Wack Wack for more than 20 years and had no record of infractions.

A month later, Juico’s wife Margarita, a long-time friend of the Aquino family, resigned as Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office chairperson, on the heels of controversies hounding the PCSO.

The WWGCC elections were held last June 29, with Abalos garnering 792 votes, Joseph Victor Ejercito 792 votes and Juico with 764 votes.

Other members elected to the board were Lawrence Tan (760 votes), Eddie Gobing (748), Tommy Tan (741),  Federico Campos III (736), Joseph Tan (727) and Ricardo Guevara (716).

Abalos served as chairman of the Commission on Elections but resigned in September 2007 on allegations of corruption in connection with the $329.4-million national broadband network contract with China’s ZTE Corp.

Along with former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo, Abalos is facing charges of electoral sabotage at the Pasay City regional trial court for a string of cases over the alleged rigging of the 2007 senatorial race.