Dalph Panopio, Allen Liwag among 'last picks' as Gilas' SEA Games men's 5x5 team now complete

Dalph Panopio is back with Gilas after six years. PBA Images (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Dalph Panopio and Allen Liwag are among the four players who got a last-minute call-up by Gilas Pilipinas for the Southeast Asian Games.

The Philippine Olympic Committee revealed on Thursday that the Blackwater rookie guard and College of St. Benilde star big man will join the national team for the first time at the senior level as Gilas made a late scramble to build another 12-man lineup after host country Thailand restricted players categorized by FIBA as "naturalized", that is, they acquired their Philippine passports after turning 16 and are not given residency exemptions, from joining.

Affected by the ruling are naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame, as well as Fil-foreign players Mike Phillips, Brandon Rosser, Kymani Ladi, and Remy Martin, who all got their PH passports after they turned 16.

Also making his first Gilas appearance is now former Adamson burly big Cedrick Manzano, while veteran center Justin Chua completes the final roster.

Panopio, Liwag, Manzano, and Chua will join Jamie Malonzo, Thirdy Ravena, Matthew Wright, Ray Parks, Robert Bolick, Von Pessumal, Abu Tratter, and Veejay Pre in the Gilas' SEA Games team to be coached by Norman Black.

Ravena, Wright, Parks, and Pre were the holdovers from the original 12-man lineup for Gilas' SEA Games team.

Malonzo, Bolick, Pessumal, and Tratter, on the other hand, came in immediately when the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas began considering Thailand's naturalized player ban and the availability of Abra's "Big 3", Jason Brickman, Geo Chiu, and Dave Ildefonso, after the MPBL team clinched a spot in the national finals, which will begin on Wednesday night at its home in Bangued.

Chiu was initially tapped as Kouame's replacement.

Panopio is making a Gilas return six years after being part of the national team's under-19 program, while Chua, currently a PBA free agent, makes his comeback to the senior team after four years.