Amid fresh Filipina5 controversy, can PFF explain?
- Rodolfo Dacleson II
- Dec 26, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 3
A report by Spin.ph revealed the alleged mismanagement by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) of the Filipina5 who competed in the 2025 FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup, which the country hosted.
Sources told the online sports media outlet that players stayed in substandard quarters while training for the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup, adding that they had no access to potable water and had to settle for inadequate food.
A player reportedly almost fainted due to hunger after fasting for many hours while waiting for a blood test. On some days, there was no shuttle service for the team, forcing a player to walk in the rain to reach the hospital.
As harrowing as it already is, these are only some of the instances of indifferent treatment the players recounted, representing the host nation.
PFF, however, denied the allegations.
“Based on our internal reviews and direct feedback, the players did express positive appreciation and experiences, most especially during the training for the World Cup,” PFF media officer Ingrid Mendoza told Spin.ph.
She spoke on behalf of Filipina5 team manager Vince Santos, who has yet to respond to Spin's message as of writing.
With further details still missing, one could only speculate if the success touted by the PFF about the country's hosting of the global showpiece is indeed true.
If that is the case, it would represent a profound failure of responsibility by the federation.
While treating visiting teams and FIFA officials with utmost hospitality, the country’s national sports association governing football seemed indifferent to its own kind.
It wasn't the first time the PFF has been involved in such a scandalous futsal story, echoing a troubling pattern in how the federation has handled the women’s futsal program over the past years.
In late December 2024, the federation abruptly reassigned head coach Vic Hermans to the Philippine men's futsal team after the women’s futsal team, then called “Pinay5,” finished fifth in the five-nation 2024 ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship.
ALSO READ: Hermans lauds Philippines’ progress in ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship despite last-place finish
“The decision was made to ensure that the women’s national team is led by someone whose focus and actions are fully aligned with the federation’s objectives and directives, especially as we prepare for critical tournaments, including the AFC qualifications and the 2025 Women’s Futsal World Cup,” said PFF Pres. John Gutierrez in a letter dated December, per Daily Tribune.
A sports editorial claimed the move “smelled like a major political powerplay” as Hermans was celebrating the Yuletide season with his family in the Netherlands at the time of his sacking. The Dutch tactician is a global futsal icon who led multiple national teams to the World Cup.
PFF also hastily announced a training camp from December 26 to 30. Players were asked to mandatorily attend or else be dropped from the national team. This decision pushed four Pinay5 players to resign from the squad, claiming the federation already had a team to compete for the 2025 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Futsal Asian Cup and the World Cup.
“I cannot join the team if they will replace the players with those who don’t even have futsal background. How can the team perform if we only have one week to prepare with a new coach and no one knows what his background is? The new players will also have a hard time playing futsal, especially with only one week to prepare, as they have been playing football all along,” said one of the resigned players, whose identity was withheld.
Former Pinay5 benefactor, Danny Moran, asked the PFF to reconsider its decision, stressing Hermans’ contributions to futsal development in the Philippines since 2020.
“A global icon in futsal, Vic Hermans’ leadership has brought prestige to our country, particularly with our involvement in the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup,” said Moran, who chairs The Henry V. Moran Foundation that sponsors the studies and playing career of football players from the marginalized sector. “His dedication has been nothing short of a blessing.”
More than anyone else, the PFF should understand that the Philippines is a non-footballing nation. Growth in the sport depends not on alienating allies, benefactors, and players, but on building trust and collaboration, especially with those who have carried the national team through its formative years.
But his plea only fell on deaf ears after the PFF announced that Spanish mentor Rafa Merino will be calling the shots for the now-known Filipina5 in their World Cup buildup and campaign. As a response, Moran demanded that the federation stop using the Pinay5 moniker.
Among the worst responses Gutierrez could offer was to refrain from answering questions regarding the controversy, but instead brazenly told reporters to “please behave.”
“I’d like to be very clear. Let’s make sure that we keep our eyes on the ball. For those of you in the media who are itching for a story, I promise you. I promise everyone. When the girls come back from Uzbekistan, I will personally give each and every one of you a sitdown, one-on-one, and will answer any questions you might have with regard to anything. In other words, please behave,” he said during the Filipina5’s sendoff ceremony for this year’s AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers last January.
In his commentary, veteran sports journalist Reuben Terrado argued that reporters, of course, would want to know the PFF’s side behind the roster overhaul it did since it’s been the talk of the town among football fans. In short, a practice for the sake of fairness in journalism.
As boldly as he said so, until now, even after the World Cup, Gutierrez and the PFF has yet to explain anything.
In only two years since replacing former PFF president Mariano Araneta, Philippine futsal has suffered significant losses in support and continuity, from coaching instability to the withdrawal of key backers – setbacks that a developing program could hardly afford.
More than anyone else, the PFF should understand that the Philippines is a non-footballing nation. Growth in the sport depends not on alienating allies, benefactors, and players, but on building trust and collaboration, especially with those who have carried the national team through its formative years.
Central to that responsibility is the welfare of the players themselves. They carry the country’s flag, absorb the pressure, and endure the sacrifices. At the very least, they deserve the same world-class care extended to visiting teams and international officials.
Now, more than ever, Gutierrez owes the public clear answers to the questions that have long surrounded his leadership.
Will accountability finally follow?
Will Filipina5 and the fans who stood by them see justice?
Only time will tell.
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