Davao pullout leaves PFL with 5 teams

Citing the uncertainty of how the Philippines Football League will be run next season, the Davao Aguilas Bellmare Football Club has decided to withdraw its participation for the 2019 season, leaving the PFL with just five clubs.

Club owner Jefferson Cheng on Friday confirmed their decision to the Inquirer.

Cheng said Davao, which has invested on acquiring top players from the national team the past two years, including Phil and James Younghusband, cannot continue with so much uncertainty in the PFL’s third season.

Instead, the club will now focus on grassroots development in Mindanao, Cheng said.

“With a heavy heart, Davao Aguilas Bellmare FC has decided not to field a pro team,” Cheng said. “We will continue helping Philippine football in the grassroots by continuing our development of the facilities and youth programs in Davao City.”

The decision came just a couple of months after the only professional club from Mindanao announced its partnership with Japanese top-flight Shonan Bellmare as well as its construction of a stadium and training facility in Davao City.

The Philippine Football Federation is actually set to turn over the management of the PFL to Bernie Sumayao, a Thailand-based businessman with a strong background in television and football, particularly in television rights acquisition.