After the game between San Sebastian College–Recoletos and Colegio de San Juan de Letrán, Head Coach Rob Labagala revealed on live television that his team had not received their salaries for the past four months.
Ends the 5-Game Losing Skid
After a 5 game losing streak, the Golden Stags have put an end to their struggle as they came up clutch to defeat the Letrán Knights on October 29 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Stags got off to a strong start behind the efforts of Oneil Castor and Dela Rama, who combined to establish control early in the match.
However, Letran refused to go down quietly. Behind the explosive backcourt tandem of Titing Manalili and Deo Cuajao, the Knights staged a furious comeback.
But Dela Rama refused to let his old squad celebrate for long. He converted an and-one play over Manalili and later completed another three-point play to put San Sebastian back in front, 78-77. In the final minute, the Cuajao brothers traded key buckets with Ian scoring on a layup to push the Stags ahead, 80-77, before Deo answered with a clutch triple to tie the game at 80-all with just over a minute left.
Kevin Santos gave Letran an 81-80 lead after splitting his free throws with 11.2 seconds left. But the final possession belonged to Dela Rama, who coolly drained a tough jumper over Mark Omega with 3.4 seconds remaining. This was the decisive basket that sealed the stunning upset. Deo Cuajao’s last-second three-point attempt went off-target, allowing San Sebastian to finally end its five-game losing skid.
The Stags, who came into the game desperate to break their slump, improved to 2-7 in Group A, while the Knights saw their five-game winning streak snapped, falling to 5-4 in Group B.
Castor led San Sebastian with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Dela Rama finished with 20 points, seven boards, two assists, and two steals. Ian Cuajao and Ralph Gabat added 13 and 12 markers, respectively.
Manalili’s career-high 26 points went to waste despite his strong all-around performance that included 10 rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Deo Cuajao tallied 22 points, while Jimboy Estrada chipped in 10.
After the emotional win, rookie head coach Rob Labagala expressed pride in his players’ resilience amid the team’s struggles.
“I’m so proud of the boys. Speaking of the heart, hindi lang nila pinapakita ‘yung heart namin doon sa game but ‘yung heart namin kung paano kami mag-commit and kung paano kami lumaban sa mga struggles namin,” Labagala said
“It means a lot kasi syempre if you’re losing on, two, three ang naging five, ‘yung morale mo bababa eh. But ang sinabi ko sa mga bata ay ‘wag isipin na natatalo tayo.”
The victory not only halted the Stags’ skid but also served as a statement that they can still compete with the league’s best, most especially when guided by determination, heart, and teamwork.
FINAL SCORE: Letrán 81 – 82 San Sebastian
Revealing Their Secret
In the post game interview, Head Coach Rob announced on live TV about their financial struggle for the past months.
“Just to give you an idea, we are four months walang salary and allowance but we continue to fight. Hindi lang ‘yung we fight here sa court, we’re also fighting for life,” Labagala told members of the press on the heels of the victory.
“That’s our status. If you can only realize and put yourself in our position, how our players are fighting for it going into the game with the baggage na meron kami. We play with heart.”
In a statement, San Sebastian’s College President and Superintendent of Recoletos Educational Institutions in the Philippines Fr. Rafael B. Pecson, OAR said that he was aware of the broadcast interview where Labagala said they had not received what the coach called “salary”.
“We are aware of the recent interview aired on GMA in which our Head Coach mentioned that the basketball coaches had not received their salaries for several months. Out of respect for the truth, I wish to clarify that all our coaches and staff have been receiving their monthly salaries faithfully and on time.”
“As a Catholic educational institution, we are guided by truth spoken with charity and charity lived in truth. We understand that emotions can sometimes lead to statements made in haste or frustration, but such moments call us not to anger, but to understanding and dialogue.”
“We hold our coaches, athletes, and staff in high regard.”
Calling Out Their Sponsors
In later reports, the former Barangay Ginebra guard clarified that he was referring to the Jackson Chua-owned business which is Starhorse Shipping Lines, explaining that they had yet to receive the benefits and support that were promised to them.
“The school is supporting us, nando’n naman but syempre limited. We have a sponsor kasi so our sponsor right now, sad to say, weren’t able to deliver. I hope na sana ma-bless siya kasi mabe-bless din naman kami.“
In addition, one of the Golden Stags, Jhuniel Dela Rama, also spoke about the issue.
“Bagsak po [ang morale namin] kasi walang lakas, wala na kaming makain minsan.”
“Yun nga hiram hiram nalang kami ganyan, si coach Rob nagbibigay parin samin yan nang pagtustos, pero naiintindihan namin kung di siya makapagbigay kasi may pamilya parin yan. Ginagawa lang namin nagluluto nalang kami.” he added.
False Promises
Sadly, this revelation just showed more reasons why the company failed to successfully buy out the Terrafirma Dyip franchise in the PBA.
The Golden Stags are a victim of false promises and the win was a slap to the face of their sponsors signaling that they have the guts to tell the truth to the public.
Yes they’re not the most talented nor the tallest or even the most favored team to win the title, but these boys play with heart as they try to survive in and out of the basketball court.
Hopefully, Starhorse and San Sebastian can fix their agreement.
