One of the three parties for the formation of the country’s volleyball national sports association has backed out.
The Philippine Volleyball Federation will not take part in the special volleyball elections set on January 25 at the East Ocean Palace in Parañaque City.
The PVF, represented by its secretary-general Otie Camangian, took part in the meeting arranged by Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino last Saturday at Makati Shangri-La. Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas secretary-general Ariel Paredes and Alliances of Philippine Volleyball chief Tats Suzara were also in attendance.
PVF president Boy Cantada questioned the conditions and parameters set by Rep. Tolentino.
“First, we simply cannot accept the designations of Tats Suzara and Ricky Palou as president with the right to appoint the secretary general and treasurer respectively of the new volleyball group. Mr. Suzara and Mr. Palou were at the forefront of sinister moves to disenfranchise PVF. We cannot work with people who in the past tried with all their might to destroy and kill PVF,” Cantada’s statement read.
“Second, we cannot accept the condition that PVF must be replaced with a new group. The FIVB General Assembly voted to keep PVF a member of FIVB. Of all people, it is you, Cong. Tolentino, who must know that it is PVF that must remain the National Federation and be recognized by POC as the National Sports Association because of its affiliation to FIVB,” it continued.
“Because of these, we regretfully reject the solution that you propose.”
In the initial proposal of the POC, the PVF would receive four of the 13 spots on the volleyball board. Moreover, the positions of chairman and auditor would be allotted to the PVF. The LVPI and APVI would receive four spots each as well, while a POC official would serve as a tiebreaker.
On the other hand, Suzara will be named as president, while Don Caringal is set to become the secretary-general. The LVPI will be given the positions of vice president and treasurer – the latter going to one of its founders Ricky Palou.
Palou, together with current jiu-jitsu president Choy Cojuangco, were the ones who pooled the funds for the country’s successful staging of the 2015 Asian Women’s U23 Volleyball Championship. The money raised helped in paying off the country’s US$80,000 debt to the FIVB.
“When POC called for the meeting, it said the terms and conditions would be discussed. Pagdating ng attendees, nag announce na ang pangulo ng equal allocation of directorships and gift-giving na agad — assignment of positions,” a second statement from Cantada read.
In the end, the PVF said that it will not take part in the exercise saying, “Because of these, we regretfully reject the solution that you propose.”
Back in 2014, a “leadership crisis” in the PVF resulted in the POC not recognizing it and the formation of the LVPI.
In 2019, the FIVB still considered the PVF as a member sans voting rights, while the LVPI was only considered a provisional member.
In August of 2020, the FIVB asked the POC to supervise an election for a “legitimate” volleyball NSA. The NSA must be settled in before the FIVB World Congress which begins on February 5.
