GRIEF overshadowed what should have been a celebration for University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguar Cubs head coach Edito Salacut after his team registered its third straight victory in the Cesafi Season 26 basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.
The Jaguar Cubs routed the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Baby Dragons, 73-44, giving USJ-R a strong 3-0 start to its campaign.
But behind the lopsided victory was heartbreaking news that turned celebration into mourning.
Shortly after the game, Salacut learned that his wife had passed away.
“Right after our game against the CEC high school team, his wife’s sister called coach to tell him that his wife had passed away,” said Salacut’s assistant coach, Frankie Lastimoso, in Cebuano.
“It was heartbreaking. Coach Etoy wept uncontrollably in the dugout yesterday. Instead of celebrating the victory, he lost someone in his life. Coach Etoy left in a hurry, in tears, right after our game,” Lastimoso added.
Salacut has been with USJ-R for many years. He also played for the school as a varsity athlete during his younger days.
This season, he returned as head coach of the high school team after spending several years handling the school’s elementary squads.
The wake of Salacut’s wife, Windy, is currently being held in Tampi, Negros Oriental, where she passed away after battling an illness for quite some time. / JBM