MANILA – Tributes poured in for former Negros Slashers guard Manuel “Maui” Huelar, who was gunned down by a still unknown assailant at Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental on April 16.
Retired Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) cager Hubert John Ferriols said that Huelar was a big part of his basketball career’s success. He described the Bacolodnon as a “kind person and a selfless player.”
Ferriols and Huelar were college teammates in 1993 at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) in Cebu and ended up as teammates once again in 1998 while playing for the Slashers in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).
In 2004, the two nearly became teammates in the PBA also through FedEx Express. Ferriols was on his sophomore year with the team that time, but Huelar failed to earn a contract after being drafted.
“Una kong nakilala si Maui (Huelar) nung college days pa sa Cebu. 1993 sa USJ-R. Siya na ‘yung number one point guard namin doon. Ako, kararating ko lang sa Cebu noon from Davao,” Ferriols said in an interview with Spin.ph.
“Siya ‘yung unang nag-entertain sa akin sa quarters. Mabait ‘yun at matulungin. Kapag may mali sa play, bubulungan ka kung anong dapat gawin,” he added. “Hindi siya madamot. Point guard talaga.”
“Alam ko na ‘yung laro niya eh. Alam na rin niya kung saan ako pumupuwesto. Kahit nakapikit lang ‘yun or nakapikit ako, alam ko kung saan siya nakapuwesto,” Ferriols continued.
Meanwhile, Bacolodnon center Reynel Hugnatan of the Meralco Bolts – another former Slashers teammate of Huelar – posted a picture a photo on Facebook and captioned it: “Rest in peace my brother, Maui Huelar. ‘The Flying Fish.’ #MH15. Sad day sa mga Slashers family”.
Huelar, Ferriols and Hugnatan, along with Columbian Dyip head coach Johnedel Cardel, Erwin Framo, Allen Sasan, Jack Tanuan, Leo Bat-og and Ryan Gamboa, were part of the Slashers team that finished runner-up in the 1998 MBA season.
After his basketball career, Huelar entered politics and was elected as village captain in Barangay 35,
Bacolod City. He was also in and out of the detention cell in the past few years due to several cases, including ones related to illegal drugs./PN
