Will PHA's Election Lack The Usual Excitement This 24th November, 2011?

The PHA's annual national election for the national board has always been a much anticipated event by its members.

Excitement Amidst Mass Resignation of PHA COMELEC.  It was not without its excitement as year after year candidates vie for the position that will give them an opportunity to be of service to the general membership. Some 5 years back, the PHA Comelec faced a crisis with the mass resignation of all its members in the middle of controversies, protests and counter protests, coming from candidates at that time.

NEW PHA COMELEC.  The issues were eventually fixed by the new set of PHA COMELEC, most of which are still incumbent to this date. Years subsequent to the replacement of the old with the new PHA COMELEC provided continued challeges as controversial issues continued to hound the elections.  Many revisions in the PHA COMELEC rules, voting process and documentations have been introduced by the new PHA COMELEC.  They were all designed to cope and adapt to the needs of the times and the organization. 
*The first ever computer assisted manner of casting votes have been introduced 3 years ago.  This allowed results to be known minutes after the close of the polling area.  In the past, counting took several hours after the 4pm close of polling, extending to past midnight , with about a dozen personnel involved in the reading and tallying of votes for about 18 or so candidates.  The PHA have much to thank its partner, COMLOGIK Business Systems, Inc. for developing the said software/program and supporting its full implementation at their own expense.
*Ambiguous elements in the COMELEC rules were clarified, modified and updated.
*Participated and provided significant and relevant inputs in the drawing of the Implementing Rules and Guidelines of the recently amended By Laws of the PHA.

YEAR 2011 ELECTIONS.

Letters Declining Nominations. As nominations were received and were subsequently sent out requests for acceptance by the nominees, the PHA COMELEC were a bit stupefied when letters from nominees declining their nominations began arriving. 

100% Acceptance from Incumbent Board. The incumbent Board however submitted a 100% letter of acceptance.  However, what could have been an otherwise routinary screening and proclamation of candidate of the COMELEC, proved otherwise.  One incumbent board nominee lacked a certain document and therefore was denied by the COMELEC.  In view of the lack of nominees, the position for the sector supposed to be represented had a vacancy of candidate.  Under the rules and regulations released by the COMELEC prior to the nominations process, in such event where there will be a resulting vacancy, the nominations for that said sector shall be reopened until such time that it is filled up and/or to noontime of the day before the election. The subject earlier denied nominee was able to get the required documentat within 48 hours from being informed about the deficiency, was renominated and his nomination subsequently accepted. 

What once thought to be a drab election due to the lack of candidates vying for positions may soon proven to be wrong.  The 4 positions for the Board of Luzon Private are being contested by 6 equally qualified and prominent personalities. Candidates for the 2011 PHA ELECTIONS on November 24, 2011 todate follows:

Election of President and Other Officers. After the composition of the new PHA Board have been determined in that same afternoon of the 24th, after the close of the polls, the process of electing the new PHA President, VP-Luzon, VP Vizayas, VP Mindanao, Treasurer, Secretary and PRO follows. The choices will be made by the new PHA Board who will go through the process of open nominations and secret balloting, supervised by the PHA COMELEC. Before midnight of the 24th, the PHA should have its new set of Board and Officers ready for proclamation and induction in the Closing Ceremonies of the following day.

Tenure of Office and the Amended By-Laws.  The amended by-laws ratified by the General Membership and already approved by the SEC carries the following provisions relevant to the holding of offices in PHA by those concered:

1.  Any members in good standing can have its representative run for the position of Director without limit, except for any individual who will accumulate an aggregate service of 6 years as President.
2.  Any Officer who have been holding on the same position for two years will not be qualified for the same position the third consecutive time.  However he is qualified for the same position after skipping one year. This rule does not apply in the case of the President.
3.  In the position of President, an individual can be qualified to be President but subject to the two year consecutive limit with a maximum limit of 6 years.  Any member hospital's representative who have accumulated 6 years as President will no longer be allowed to go beyond the 6 years. He also will be barred to run as Director once the 6 years aggregate service in the Presidency have been attained.