Former national team player Rosalio "Yoyong" Martires passed away last Tuesday.
He was 77 years old.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Rosalio 'Yoyong' D. Martires. He peacefully joined our Creator yesterday, June 18, 2024," the Martires' family said in a statement.
"He was surrounded by his family and loved ones during this difficult time."
Martires played for the national team, competing in the 1972 Munich Olympics and winning the 1973 FIBA Asia Championships.
He won two titles with San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association and by the time he retired playing in 1982, he entered the world of showbiz as a comedian and became involved in politics in Pasig City, becoming a vice mayor in 2004 and 2013.
Martires was also a councilor in the city from 1995 to 2004 and from 2013 to 2022.