The Premier Volleyball League issued a statement early Thursday regarding the allegations that Gerflor are not paying the Defenders’ salaries in the ongoing 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference.
After Gerflor’s game against F2 Logistics Thursday afternoon, head coach Sammy Acaylar acknowledged that the financial issues the Defenders are experiencing.
And that whatever happens, he will always stand by with his players.
“There’s a problem alam naman ninyo yun siguro, kumalat siya. It’s up to the management to answer that,” said Acaylar.
“But as I said earlier, ayaw naming pangunahan ang management kung hindi, sabi ko sa kanila susuporta ako sa inyo basta dapat maalagaan ang players natin. Kasi galing din ako diyan eh, coach ako for how many years ayaw kong madehado ang mga manlalaro ko.”
Earlier in the week, an anonymous post on Reddit bared that a team has yet to get their salaries for the last three months while also having issues with their training venue.
In a separate post, the managers of Gerflor were named.
“Yes at the moment trabaho muna namin ang iintindihin namin. At the end, saka kami kikilos, saka kami gagalaw if in case na talagang worse comes to worst. Hanggat maaari yung problem kailangan merong solusyon, kung wala I told my players, kapag wala talaga that’s the time na kikilos kami,” continued Acaylar.
Danika Gendrauli, the most senior player of the Defenders, shared how low the morale of the team is.
Gerflor is currently at 0-6 while their alleged salary and training woes pile up.
Comments in support of the players of the Defenders continue to pour in as no player – or worker in general – deserves not to get paid for the work that was already done.
“Thankful pa rin ako na naiintindihan nila (netizens) yung situation namin kung bakit nga na kung ganon yung performance namin kasi yung iba sa mga teammates ko talaga nadadown na talaga sila kasi yun nga, pumasok nga raw sila dito para makapag income ganon, lahat naman siguro tayo kailangan natin yun di ba? Lahat naman tayo,” said Gendrauli, who scored 11 against the Cargo Movers.
Gendrauli, a product of Southwestern University, also narrated how at times, they would only have five players in practice as their training venue was booked in the morning while most of her teammates have day jobs.
With this, she pleads to the management to listen to them.
“Sana ang ano lang namin may stable kami na mapagti-trainingan, hindi kami kung saan saan pumupunta na barangay para lang makapagtraining para makumpleto kami,” said Gendrauli.
“Sana pakinggan din kami na kailangan din kami na makumpleto sa training kasi if ever na pipilitin namin na ganon na oras yung gusto nila, example morning, eh most of my teammates are working so doon pa lang kung lima lang magtitraining parang ang lungkot naman di ba? Sana pakinggan kami na sana gabi ang training, kahit na wala kaming ano makapagensayo pa rin kami.”
Despite these issues, Acaylar, Gendrauli, and the rest of the Gerflor squad will continue showing up to do their jobs as true professionals.
With the teammates and coaches uplifting each other, they will continue to fight for the franchise’s elusive first win.
“Yes kung ako kasi, oo willing talaga. Makikita mo naman sa team na ito na willing talaga. Kung hindi lang talaga dahil sa coaches namin, yun siguro. Kung hindi lang kami minomotivate ni coach or nagmomotivate sa isa’t isa, wala talaga. Nakikinig siguro kami sa labas na ‘oh wag na kayong maglaro ganyan kasi ganon din naman mangyayari’,” said Gendrauli.
“Hindi namin iintindihin ang problema, ang mga nangyayari. It’s up to the management kung ano ang gusto nilang mangyari basta kami, trabaho namin maglaro, magbigay ng name ng company kasi we don’t like na mapahiya rin yung company sa amin,” said Acaylar.
“I control my players, as a coach for how many years, as a national coach, lahat ng natutunan ko to motivate the players, binigay ko sa kanila ngayon para lang hindi maapektuhan kasi sometimes, merong ibang players na ayaw na maglaro eh. I don’t like na maspoiled yung liga. Ayaw ko masira ang liga nila kasi napakagandang liga that is why kinocontrol ko ang players ko ngayon, kontrolado ko naman sila basta trabaho muna kami.”
