De Brito eyes legal help vs PNVF over unpaid dues
Former national coach and current Capital1 mentor Jorge de Brito is set to seek legal remedies to push the Philippine National Volleyball Federation to, at the very least, sit down with him to work out unpaid bonuses and salaries owed him by the national federation.
“I really don’t like to go this way but I don’t know how [else to proceed],” de Brito told journalists last Friday. “I’m just trying to sit on the same table with them because I think that’s the right thing to do.”
De Brito was relieved as national coach in October, just two months before handling the women’s national team to the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December. Despite that, the Brazilian Olympic gold medal-winning coach still guided the squad in the biennial meet.
He has since focused on his job with the Solar Spikers in the PVL.
De Brito’s contract will run until June but he has still to receive word about the rest of his compensation or any plans for negotiations in that direction. He also has unpaid bonuses from four SEA VLeague tournaments and one AVC Nations Cup stint.
The PNVF is currently in a transition phase with Tony Boy Liao taking over the presidency from Tats Suzara, but for de Brito, it doesn’t matter who remains at the helm.
“I don’t work [for either of them],” he said. “I work for the national team and I value that position.”
De Brito, who has already sent word to the Brazilian embassy and the Department of Labor and Employment regarding his situation and his plans, said he was signed for two years and was more than happy to take the task, passing up other opportunities to handle the women’s team.
“I’ve been working with [the federation] for five years,” he said. “It’s sad that we have to go through this.”
De Brito said he holds no grudges toward the federation but he just wants to be compensated for his work with the national team and for laying the foundation for the team’s future.
