A repost...Our Guardian Angel :)

ewan ko ba at bigla ko na lang xa naicip ulit.

actually, everytime na nakakakita ako ng number 4, always it serves as a warning or a good sign for me.  Napaka significant ng number four para sa akin, at lalo na sa tigers... Laging 4:44 ang crucial times nila sa mga games...basta laging may 4 sa time...nsa crucial situation cla, either may fouled out or chuva...

so much for the intro...

                   Tiger angel on the hardcourt

THE CALL of the dribble-and-dash discipline was so irresistible that not even the afterlife, it seems, prevented the late Growling Tiger John Lee Apil from seeing better days.

Given the strange yet rewarding circumstances that characterized UST’s fabled journey en route to the championship, Apil, a wily 6-foot-2 court general, in one way or another, became the savior extraordinaire for the underdogs.
Before that, on Black Saturday, Apil, who had been all set to help the Tigers rebound from a dismal Season 68 campaign, found himself yielding to a morbid trade-off, dying by electrocution, after saving 20-year-old Howell Alamo and 14-year-old Ivan de Asis, relatives of his girlfriend Pethereene Aggabao, from instant death last April 15, 2006 in a Tuguegarao City resort.

Sixth man in the skies
From a devastating 78-114 loss to then top-seed Ateneo de Manila University (Ateneo) in the first round, the Tigers took the Eagles in a nail-biter in their second meeting.
Down by two, 67-69, with only five ticks left on the clock, Japs Cuan missed his second freethrow in favor of Ateneo’s mammoth frontline.
But Allan Evangelista valiantly soared against Ford Arao and JC Intal to shoot the ball but fished a loose-ball foul off Intal instead.
Evangelista, seeking divine intervention, touched the number 4 inscription on the right side of his jersey in memory of Apil before stepping onto the foul line for a pair of pressure-packed freethrows.
When Evangelista threw the first ball, he knew it wouldn’t go in because his release was askew.  But it went in nevertheless, leaving Evangelista open-mouthed.  He said he regained his composure and threw a confident second shot that got in.
With Evangelista sinking both charities, the Tigers forged an overtime and later claimed a resounding 88-80 payback over the then unbeaten Eagles.
Among the Tigers, it was Jun Cortez who felt Apil’s presence most.
In Game 2 of their championship tussle with the Eagles, Cortez said he saw a black butterfly coming out of nowhere and hovered around Ateneo’s Arao, who then missed both freethrows. Moments later, UST romped past Ateneo, 87-71, to force a deciding Game 3 that eventually quenched the Tigers’ 10-year title drought.

Glory in court and character
Despite possessing the essentials of competitive basketball, Apil was a simple, humble, and ordinary man, according to those who had known him.
“In our place, he was idolized by the youth because he had accomplished so much in the field of sports yet he never boasted it,” Aggabao said. Apil was the first basketball player from Solana to play in the UAAP.
Dylan Ababou said that whenever there was a local league play in Cagayan, Apil would really try his best to travel back home, unmindful of the long trip, all for the love of playing hoops with his townmates.
Even UST coaches were impressed with Apil’s work ethic.  He was respectful toward his superiors, obedient, and hardworking to improve his skills, they said
“Mabait siyang player and he doesn’t complain,” added asst. coach Rabbi Tomacruz.  “He always wanted to learn the drills by himself after doing them once with the coaches.”
Apil was also well-liked because of his closeness to his family. He would always make sure to cover the 12-hour trip every week from Manila to Cagayan just to see his family.
“Kahit na siguro labag sa kalooban niya, gagawin pa rin niya ang gusto namin para mapaligaya kami,” Ines Apil said of her only child.
In a great show of love and concern for his family before he died, Apil even managed to bridge the gap between his mother and adopted younger brother JM.
“May kaunting tampuhan kami ni JM at bago siya mamatay, pero nagawa pa niyang umuwi dito para ayusin ang problema at pagbatiin kaming dalawa ng kapatid niya,”  said Apil.
For Dr. Sofia de Asis, who knew Apil since childhood, the tragic end of her would-have-been nephew-in-law would leave an indelible mark in her memory.
“He would have been an ideal husband for Pethereene and a future favorite in-law for me because of his good attitude,” de Asis said.
Most affected by Apil’s tragic farewell is his mother.
“Sa pagkawala ng anak ko ay nawala ang buong daigdig sa akin,” Mrs. Apil said.  “Hanggang ngayon ay nagluluksa pa rin kami at hanggang sa oras ng aming kamatayan ay ipagluluksa namin siya,”
The family is now seeking justice.
Aggabao told the Varsitarian that they immediately asked the resort’s security guard to turn off the main switch as Apil was in the middle of his ordeal, but the guard chose to confirm first if someone was really being electrocuted before turning the power source off.
Apil’s family has filed a criminal complaint against the security guard for homicide and a civil case for damages against Armando and Erlita Cortes, owners of the resort.
On that dramatic night of October 2, 2006, the Feast of the Guardian Angels, the Tigers’ fortunes flowed and overwhelmed at the height of Ateneo’s adamant stand. The Tigers then came up with the haymakers in the waning moments of their championship trilogy that Apil might have somehow dutifully guided toward the hoop. He is indeed a Tiger, after all. Anthony Andrew Divinagracia and Lee Villanueva