Over the weekend, reports popped up claiming that De La Salle University Lady Spikers mentor Ramil De Jesus had accepted the head coaching post for the National Team that will compete in the AVC U23 tournament on May.
The tournament is scheduled to take place in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailandm from May 13 to 21.
A Facebook post by Philippine Volleyball Federation president Edgardo Cantada Jr. stated that the nine-time UAAP champion had been named to the post.
The head coach of the now-defunct National Team Amihan that had been formed by PVF in 2014, De Jesus said, however, that he has not formally accepted the job.
“No comment muna ako kasi wala pa kaming final na na-discuss regarding that,” De Jesus said after La Salle took down the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses in the UAAP earlier today.
He added that he and Cantada were supposed to talk after La Salle’s match but the conversation never happened.
“Nandoon naman na ako with Amihan so kung kinakailangan babalik, volleyball concern naman ‘yan eh. So kung kailangan ako sa ganoong posisyon siguro naman pwede, malaki naman ang chance,” he added.
De Jesus would run into problems, though, as his Lady Spikers are still entrenched in the another UAAP title run. If La Salle make the Final Four, they will not end their season until mid-May.
“Hindi naman ganoon kadali mag-decide sa ganoong klase ng responsibility, nakaatang lahat kasi sa’yo eh. Kung anuman ang maging result nun, nasa balikat mo lahat yun. Sabi ko nga wala pang final talk regarding that,” he added.
If true, this development puts the current structure of Philippine Volleyball and the National Team in disarray. After the LVPI came out with a 25-woman pool that, supposedly, already comprised of the possible U23 team, it remains to be seen if the PVF will release their own pool.
Furthermore, there is still an on-going investigation by the FIVB regarding the installation of the LVPI and the PVF’s ouster in 2015.
