ZUS Coffee and Akari were forced to bench their foreign guest players in the curtain raiser of the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference on Tuesday at Ynares Center here.
According to the league, the Thunderbelles’ Anna DeBeer and the Chargers’ Annie Mitchem, who warmed up and were ready to go, were relegated to cheerleaders allegedly due to ‘the Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s refusal to endorse the International Transfer Certificates (ITCs)’ required for foreign guest players to compete. PVL added that the imports were denied clearance despite already having submitted all documentation in time, including signed clearances from the players, their respective federations and clubs.
In a statement released Tuesday, the PVL expressed its ‘deep frustration over what it described as unprofessional and obstructionist behavior by the national federation.’
‘The PVL regrets to inform the public that the foreign guest players will not be permitted to participate in the ongoing season-ending conference until their ITCs are duly approved,’ PVL organizer Sports Vision wrote.
‘We respectfully urge the PNVF to expedite the signing process to prevent further disruption to the tournament,’ the statement added.
The PNVF has yet to release a statement about the matter. The Inquirer tried to reach PNVF president Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara for comment, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.
All 12 PVL teams have been training for a month with their respective imports, as the league remains committed to following international volleyball protocols, with the Alas Pilipinas players following the national team season and the league compressing the Reinforced schedule for longer preparation time ahead of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December.
As per the PVL, citing sources and insiders, the PNVF is leveraging the ITC approval as a bargaining chip to force the PVL to adjust its conference schedule, allegedly to accommodate national team preparations for the SEA Games
The PNVF reportedly demanded that the Reinforced Conference end by Nov. 16, despite the PVL having already structured the tournament to run until Nov. 27, including the finals. PVL officials said they had previously adjusted their calendar to support the national program – even moving the conference to begin after the national team’s commitments were scheduled to end by September 30.
The league also claimed that stakeholders are already openly questioning the effectiveness and motives of the PNVF, accusing it of prioritizing political control over the development of the sport.