PVF nanawagan sa POC; LVPI idiskwalipika sa eleksyon

Muling nanawagan at umapela ang Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) kay Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino na rebisahin ang isyu sa volleyball at idiskwalipika ang Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI) sa gaganaping POC election sa Nobyembre 27.

Sa sulat ni PVF President Edgardo “Tito Boy” Cantada na may petsang Nobyembre 5, 2020, umapela ang PVF sa POC na hindi dapat mapabilang sa regular voting member ang LVPI.

“First, LVPI is not affiliated to its International Federation (IF). Its affiliation to FIVB, in fact, was rejected by no less than the FIVB General Assembly during the 36th FIVB World Congress in Cancun, Mexico. It is PVF that remains a member of FIVB from the Philippines. Affiliation to a corresponding IF, as you very well know, is a requirement for POC membership.

“Second, PVF was never expelled from the POC by the POC General Assembly. Thus, the membership of PVF remains valid and active. Hence, LVPI cannot be recognized as the NSA for volleyball with PVF’s POC membership still active.

“And last, the legality of PVF’s “expulsion” from POC is still subject to litigation at the Pasig RTC,” pahayag ng dati ring pangulo ng Junior Golf Association.

“We hope that with your lead and firm resolve, LVPI will be disqualified from casting its vote in the coming POC election. We hope that you will champion truth and justice to preserve the integrity and credibility of the election,” ayon kay Cantada.

Mahabang panahon nang ipinaglalaban ni Cantada ang aniya’y illegal na pag-alis sa PVF nang noo’y pangulo ng POC na si Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco noong 2015.

Iginiit ni Cantada na kahit walang formal na reklamo laban sa PVF sa POC at walang basbas ng General Assembly, nagbuo ng bagong asosasyon sa volleyball na LVPI. Sa pagpapatalsik kay Cojuangco nitong 2018, umaasa ang PVF na mareresolba ang kanilang isyu, ngunit naiwan ito sa ere sa biglang pagbibitiw ni Ricky Vargas.

“Naniniwala po kami sa liderato ni Rep. Bambol Tolentino at umaasang maaksyunan ang aming hinaing,” sambit ni Cantada.