If there’s something audiences learned from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it’s that anyone can be Spider-Man and wield the great power and responsibility that comes with the name. However, a certain Spider in the Philippines didn’t get the memo and temporarily became Spider-Man to crash a basketball game in the name of love and peace.
Friendly Basketball-Interrupting Spider-Man
During Game 5 of the Philippine Cup Finals series, the Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) top two contenders—the Magnolia Hotshots and the San Miguel Beermen—were locked in an intense match that would break the Best-Of-7 series’ tie.
But in the fourth quarter’s waning minutes, a man in a Spider-Man costume ran into the court while holding a placard with “Vote! Love!“ written on it—referencing the country’s upcoming senatorial elections. While running with his signs (with various messages such as “Vote Wisely This May 13” and “Heal the Philippines” on them) in hand, the Spidey wannabe knocked down Beermen center June Mar Fajardo after hitting him in the jaw.
Araneta Coliseum security apprehended the masked menace, but not after some enraged people—including Beermen guard Ronald Tubid—landed blows on him. The PBA Spider-Man was brought to the nearest police station for questioning. The game continued, with the Magnolia Hotshots closing in on the PBA championship following their hard-won 88-86 victory. Magnolia currently leads the series with 3 wins.
Spider-Man No More
When asked by PBA commissioner Willie Marcial why he interrupted the game, the PBA Spider-Man—unmasked as 31-year old Paolo Felizarta—claimed that he was motivated by altruism and concern for the country. He also said that hitting Fajardo was an accident—an unfortunate circumstance he blames on his mask’s poor visibility.
I just want to send a message because it’s the elections…I just want all of us to give love. That’s it. Nothing more. My message is to love so I won’t do anything to hurt other people .
(translated from Filipino)
Aside from Felizarta, police detained two other people: the suspected accomplice Flenn John Lola and Rayahn Paredes, who was caught punching Lola. The two settled their dispute outside of court.
Spider-Man: Into the Police Precinct
Marcial is determined to charge Felizarta with unjust vexation and alarm and scandal. The PBA commissioner admitted that security measures need to be improved to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Even if he suffered the brunt of it, Fajardo is willing to move on from the ruckus. In his statement, he admitted that he understands that Felizarta wanted to get a meaningful message across, though he doesn’t agree with the methods he used. The center implored his fans not to imitate the Spidey-themed stunt for their own safety.
Similarly, Tubid wants to put the debacle behind him, going as far as apologizing for his sudden burst of violence. Despite this, Felizarta’s younger brother and cousin are considering taking legal action against Tubid. As of this writing, PBA Spider-Man is still in jail and can post bail on Friday next week at the earliest.
The real Spider-Man (Tom Holland) will swing back onto the big screen on July 2 in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where he’ll fight the Elementals alongside Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he struggles to carry on Iron Man’s (Robert Downey Jr.) legacy—hopefully without interrupting a sports event while vacationing in Europe.
Sources: Rappler, Rappler Sports