Volleyball polls to go on sans PVF

MANILA, Philippines – The election for the new volleyball group the Philippine Olympic Committee is supervising will push through as scheduled on Monday even without one of its stakeholders — the Philippine Volleyball Federation.

The decision came after PVF president Edgardo Cantada on Sunday backed out from participating in the polls set at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Paranaque.

The exercise will be participated in by representatives from the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc., the Philippine Superliga, and an alliance composed of Ramon Suzara, the Premier Volleyball League and the Beach Volleyball Republic.

“We respect their decision but it was a missed opportunity,” said Tolentino. “However, we have to move on for the good of volleyball. We will still proceed.”

The PVF, represented by Ottie Camangian, had actually attended the unity talk at the Shangri-La Makati last Saturday where all but the former agreed and signed to form a new group and hold an election of its officers.

The PVF sued for time but eventually decided against it.

The PVF would have gotten four of the 13 slots to the executive board of the new group, including the positions of chairman and auditor had it not rejected the plan.

The rest of the slots will go to the LVPI (4), Suzara and PVL (4), and one independent but unidentified POC representative.

The slots that are intended for the PVF would thus be divided among the remaining stakeholders.

The FIVB or International Volleyball Federation requested the POC to supervise the creation — through general elections — of the national sports association since it had already withdrawn its recognition of a Philippine federation since 2016.