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Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Tonyboy Liao and members of the board during a press conference on February 24, 2026. PNVF photo
MANILA — The FIVB has suspended the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) for its "serious governance concerns and multiple purported violations of the FIVB Code of Ethics," effective immediately.
The decision was announced Friday, a move seen as an intervention amid growing concerns in the Philippine volleyball scene.
It also comes after the 2025 Alas Pilipinas core has begged off from national team duties, seen as a protest for better athlete welfare.
The alleged violations are being investigated by an ethics panel of the governing body, said the FIVB, and an ad hoc committee was installed to, for the meantime, "oversee the affairs" of the PNVF.
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The following are part of the said committee, as revealed by the international federation: Hila Asanuma, Chair and FIVB Executive Committee member; Mathieu Mériaux, FIVB Asia Regional Officer and Empowerment Manager; Stephen Bock, FIVB Head of Legal and General Counsel; Hitesh Malhotra, FIVB Head of Empowerment and National Federation Relations; and Alexa Dabao, FIVB Legal Contractor in the Philippines.
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Among its priorities are to "participation of Philippine national team athletes in upcoming international competitions, alongside guaranteeing the successful delivery of the upcoming Women’s VNL stop in the Philippines."
ABS-CBN has reached out to PNVF president Tony Boy Liao for comment regarding the matter.
The PNVF has been under fire in recent months, especially after they announced a highly-criticized plan to select players for the Alas Pilipinas women's national volleyball team through the proposed "Alas Draft."
While the federation ultimately walked back on this plan, players led by erstwhile national team captain Jia de Guzman broke their silence on issues surrounding the federation and brought to light concerns over athlete welfare.
De Guzman in particular called for alignment between the FIVB calendar and the local club season, as well as better coordination with PVL club to create a "win-win" ecosystem in the sport.
The PNVF in March had expressed their readiness to talk to the national team players. In May, however, the core of the Alas Pilipinas team that represented the country in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games opted to sit out the AVC Women's Cup.
That compelled the federation to call on other players, including veteran Alyssa Valdez, a former national team captain, in order to create a roster for the competition in Candon.