The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) is in the eye of a storm.

In a move seen as a blatant disregard for the foundation of a free press and fair, honest reporting, the national volleyball federation revoked the accreditation of a photographer of Spin.ph during the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.

The move came on the heels of the news outlet’s series of critical reports and opinion pieces in which it disclosed the exorbitant ticket prices and empty arenas during the country’s hosting of the biggest and most prestigious volleyball tournament in the world. 

Obviously, the act was a chilling attempt at media censorship and an assault on the public’s right to information. 

The country’s media practitioners raised a howl. Senator Erwin Tulfo — a longtime media practitioner before entering politics — delivered a privilege speech in the Senate to call out the federation, while the National Press Club of the Philippines and the Philippine Sportswriters Association came out with statements to show their disapproval for what they branded as a clear case of “media censorship.”

Hosting a world-class event that reportedly cost the government billions in public funds is not a private party. When the stands are empty and ticket prices are beyond the reach of ordinary volleyball fans — who fueled the sport’s rise to popularity — it is the media’s duty to report it.

Punishing a journalist, in this case, a photographer of a legitimate and well-respected media organization, is a classic display of arrogance.

The PNVF seems to be living in a fantasy world where only glowing reports are permitted. They appear to have forgotten that their organization operates within a democratic republic where the freedom of the press is constitutionally guaranteed. 

The revocation of credentials is a heavy-handed tactic straight out of an authoritarian playbook that is intended to intimidate the entire sportswriting fraternity into silence.

The issues that Spin.ph and other publications courageously raised — the sky-high ticket prices and the empty seats — were legitimate concerns. How could an event designed to promote volleyball to Filipino fans, who are mostly students and young professionals, exclude them financially? The sight of empty arenas in a nation said to be crazy over volleyball was a massive management blunder and those responsible must be held accountable — not the sportswriters.

The swift condemnation by Senator Tulfo and other media organizations is a testament to the severity of this issue. Their collective voice against this “curtailment of freedom of the press” must serve as a wake-up call to the PNVF leadership.

The volleyball federation must remember that a truly successful international event is not measured by the quality of the games, but by the transparency and integrity of its organization. 

By attempting to shoot down critical reports, the PNVF has only managed to draw more attention to the very issues it wished to suppress. They have turned what was supposed to be a world-class spectacle into a public relations disaster, proving that their priorities are not about giving pride and joy to the Filipinos but deodorizing their image for the approval of their patrons in the International Volleyball Federation.

Although the PNVF returned the accreditation of the photographer, the damage was done. 

To minimize the damage, the PNVF has to publicly apologize for its ill-conceived action. Anything less is an endorsement of censorship and a betrayal of the democratic principles that true sportsmanship is built upon. 

The freedom to report is non-negotiable. The public always deserves the full, unfiltered stories, and no sports federation — no matter how powerful — has the right to shoot them down.