THE Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) was a no-show in its scheduled conciliation-mediation conference with former Alas Pilipinas Women head coach Jorge Souza de Brito on Tuesday at the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).
The camp of de Brito told SPIN.ph that they waited from 9:30 a.m. at the NLRC Single Entry Approach (SeNA) to attend a dialogue on the coach's claims over alleged unpaid wages, but no representative from the federation showed up.
READ PSC chairman Gregorio urges PNVF to settle De Brito wage dispute
“Unfortunately, the PNVF and/or representatives are absent in the Mediation Hearing before the SENA NLRC this morning,” de Brito’s legal counsel Atty. Rex Enrico Cruz III said on Tuesday morning.
“Coach Jorge is very optimistic this morning. He arrived early and hoped that PNVF or Mr. Liao will heed the recommendation of PSC chair to settle this the soonest,” he added.
SPIN.ph learned that the PNVF supposedly did not receive the notice to appear despite two attempts to serve it.
READ PNVF says it's already working to resolve de Brito issue
The no-show dampened hope for a long-overdue resolution to the case after no less than Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Pato Gregorio urged the PNVF to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
The situation also runs contrary to statements made over the weekend by PNVF secretary-general Otie Camangian, who said that the federation intends to honor its obligations to de Brito and is working toward a resolution.
“Hindi po tatalikuran ng PNVF kung anuman ‘yung obligasyon na nararapat sa ating foreign coach, precisely because ‘yun naman talaga ang dapat,” Camangian said in Noli Eala’s Power and Play program on Saturday.
"The PNVF board agreed before that after the legal deliberation of our legal counsel, ibibigay naman ‘yung dapat na ibigay kay coach Jorge," Camangian added.
Despite Tuesday’s setback, the conciliation-mediation conference has been rescheduled for Monday, May 4.
“The mediation arbiter is saying that coach [Jorge] can already escalate [the case] to the NLRC proper. However, to give PNVF the benefit of the doubt whether they received the notice or not, and as a sign of good faith on our part, we agreed to reset it,” Cruz said.
“Hopefully, PNVF will be there. Otherwise, we proceed to the NLRC proper already before the Labor Arbiter.”
Should no settlement be reached, the case may be elevated before a Labor Arbiter and, eventually, the courts.
SPIN.ph has reached out to the PNVF for comment, but has yet to receive a response as of posting. Sources claimed the national federation claim not receiving the notice to appear in the hearing despite two attempts to serve it.
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