An unidentified man wearing a Spider-Man costume disrupted Game Five of the Philippine Cup Finals between San Miguel and Magnolia at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The man, who donned the complete red and blue Spider-Man garb including the mask, ran around the court and bumping into players while holding out a small sign that wasn't legible enough to read. It took 15 seconds before security was able to escort him out, leaving in his wake a confused crowd and at least one player apparently hurt. The Spider-Man stunt had everyone in disbelief, with commentators calling the man an "idiot." The whole incident was caught on television.
According to Star Sports Hub, the Spider-Man assailant is now in custody of the police. The Philippine Basketball Association is adamant in filing charges against the man, as per league commissioner Willie Marcial.
After taking him away, the security personnel immediately forced to unmask the man, who fought their efforts before ultimately giving in. He proceeded to cover his face as he was interrogated. Ultimately, when asked why he did it, the costumed man said that he simply wanted to send a positive message and encourage everyone to love each other. Unfortunately, this backfired horribly.
The Spider-Man assailant also maintained that it was not intention to hurt player June Mar Fajardo, insisting that it was the San Miguel Beermen player who bumped into him. Fajardo was not hurt in the incident apart from a slightly sore jaw, but admits he was left in shock.
In an interview via ABS-CBN, he said that what the man did was dangerous. Even though no one was hurt, he hopes that the incident never happens again. Sure enough, the incident prompted tighter security during basketball games.
Spider-Man's disruption caused a temporary ceasefire, but the game eventually resumed. However, it was again interrupted when another man came charging at the San Miguel Beermen bench.
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