THIS early, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is putting in safeguards against possible connivance between sister teams.
The coming Invitational Conference has seen the pioneering volleyball league expand its field to 13 teams including 11 local clubs - the biggest it has been since becoming a full-fledged commercial league in 2017.
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Aside from the originals, the cast includes former Philippine SuperLiga teams that the PVL absorbed like F2 Logistics, Cignal, PLDT, Chery Tiggo, and Foton as well as two newcomers in the Farm Fresh Foxies and the Genflor Defenders.
The expansion, however, has presented a dilemma to organizing Sports Vision, which, aside from the task of running an 11-man league, will now have to manage not one, not two, but three sister teams in its fold.
Aside from originals Creamline and Choco Mucho, which are both under the umbrella of Rebisco of the Ngs, the PVL now has two other sister clubs in PLDT and Cignal HD as well as Chery Tiggo and Foton.
Drawing from the experience of the PBA, which has been plagued by issues over the perceived collusion of teams in the San Miguel and MVP blocs and the cooperation of alleged 'farm teams,' PVL head Ricky Palou says it is important to put in place laws that will rule out such in the league in the future.
"There is no sign [of connivance among sister teams] right now in our league, but we have to guard against it starting now," says Palou.
A former PBA executive during the late Jun Bernardino's time as commissioner, Palou understands that even just the perception of connivance among teams is bound to hurt the league's integrity in the long run.
For the Invitational Conference unfolding on June 27, the PVL made sure all three sister teams are in different brackets, meaning they won't play against each other for the duration of pool play.
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In the playoffs and in future conferences, Palou assures all games between sister teams will be scheduled early - and not late - in the eliminations to avoid situations that may give rise to 'bigayan' or, in today's parlance, 'Sagip Kapamilya' accusations.
"Umpisa pa lang, maglalaban na mga 'yan," Palou says. "Mahirap na, baka may masabi pa na may nagbibigayan sa huli."
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Once rules on the rookie draft, the trading of players, and the salary cap are institutionalized, Palou says trades involving sister teams will be barred - even those deals where a third party, or a conduit in PBA parlance, is engaged.
"That's a mockery of the rules," he says of the 'conduit' strategy.
More safeguards will be put in place, Palou assures, in the future to protect the integrity of PVL games and make sure all deals are above-board.
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