A man wearing a Spider-Man costume stormed into the court during Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals between San Miguel Beer and Magnolia at Araneta Coliseum. Photo by Trisran Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Ronald Tubid extended the olive branch to the court intruder who temporarily stopped the action in Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup between the Beermen and Magnolia.
Paolo Felizarta, who dressed up as Spider-Man, ran to the court with around three minutes left in the game and collided with San Miguel center and five-time MVP June Mar Fajardo Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Araneta security immediately apprehended Felizarta after the collision and that was when Tubid decided to throw in a sucker punch to the back of the head of Felizarta.
Tubid said that what he did was wrong and that he’s sorry for punching Felizarta.
“That was anger because I didn’t know why it happened. He also hurt our big man,” said Tubid in Filipino. “I just lost it and I really couldn’t understand what happened.”
“As a veteran, it’s always my duty to save and protect my teammates, but to the man I punched, I’m sorry.”
The collision caused Fajardo to go down as he laid on his back for a few seconds after getting hit in the jaw.
“I know what I did was wrong because I don’t know if there’s something wrong with him and I should’ve just understood better,” said Tubid. “I know I shouldn’t have done it.”
“I just didn’t want my teammate going down like that.”
Police officers from the Quezon City Police District Station 7 detained Felizarta at Camp Panopio shortly after the incident.
Felizarta could go out as early as Tuesday since Monday is declared as a special non-working holiday due to the midterm elections.