LEO BAT-OG is making a return to the national basketball scene, decades since his stint with the Negros Slashers in the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).
Now 47, Bat-og has been appointed team manager of the All-Star Bacolod Ballers who will be making their league debut in the MPBL Invitational set from December 11 to 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Ako in-assign ni Boss Albie Benitez na maging team manager so ako rin ‘yung nagre-represent sa kanya. Sa kanya ako nagwo-work ngayon,” said Bat-og when SPIN.ph caught up with him during the draw ceremony of the MPBL Invitational.
Bat-og played a prominent role with the Negros Slashers during their heyday in the MBA, before moving to the PBA where he played one season with Sta. Lucia in 2003. He has been away from the national spotlight ever since.
Prior to his stint as team manager, Bat-og has mostly been involved in public service in different capacities, including as a barangay official.
Basketball comeback
His involvement in basketball was limited to helping city-wide leagues for Rep. Greg Gasayata in Bacolod, most recently in 2019. Unlike most former players, Bat-og didn’t enter the coaching ranks except informally in recreational alumni leagues.
Bat-og is now part of the group of former Negros Occidental third district Rep. Albee Benitez, who incidentally is running for mayor of Bacolod City in the coming elections. When Benitez was in the process of forming an MPBL team, it was a no-brainer that he selected Bat-og to handle the operations.
“Nasa pulitika kami at na-belong sa kanya pero binigyan niya ako ng bagong task dahil alam niya na galing ako sa basketball at ako ang nakakaalam ng basketball sa grupo namin,” said Bat-og.

When he accepted the role to help out the team, Bat-og said he already made it clear to his bosses that he won’t be the head coach, despite his vast knowledge of the game and experience as a player.
“Sinabi ko agad na ‘Boss, hindi ako mag-cocoach kasi hindi ko kaya. Kaya kong tumulong pero wala akong experience. Baka pagtawanan lang tayo. Tutulong ako sa coaching," said the former Slashers forward.
"Pinagawa ako ng proposal, ano kailangan ng team. Happy naman sa opportunity na binigay niya at sa trust ni Congressman (Abang Lingkod Party List) Stefan Paduano, Congressman Gasataya, at Atty. Caesar Distrito who is his (Benitez) running mate for vice mayor.”
Bat-og said he feels like a rookie again in the MPBL, which reunited him with former Sta. Lucia teammate and now league commissioner Kenneth Duremdes.
“Kaibigan ko si Comm. Kenneth. Sabi niya kanina, ‘Idol ko ‘yan’ kasi partner kami niyan sa Sta. Lucia before at kapag may mga ligang labas, kinukuha ko siya sa Iloilo at ako ‘yung bodyguard niya,” said Bat-og.
He added: “Parang nag-adjust na uli ako. Parang rookie uli ako sa ganitong sitwasyon. I will do my very best. Familiar rin ako sa mga tao pero hindi ‘yung talagang nakaka-salamuha ko parati. I’m trying to adjust.
"Hopefully, magawa ko ‘yung pinapagawa ng mga big boss.”
Negros Slashers days
Bat-og was among the workhorses of the Slashers team that became the champion of the Southern Conference before bowing to the Pampanga Dragons in the inaugural MPBL Finals in 1998.
That team was led by John Ferriols, the first-ever MVP of the league, but it was players such as a young Reynel Hugnatan and Bat-og who helped fill up the club’s homecourt, the University of St. La Salle Gym.
Looking back, the former University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos standout said it was a dream come true for him to be part of that trail-blazing Slashers squad.
“Malaking naitulong ng MBA sa pagbabago at pag-mold sa akin,” said Bat-og. “I’m grateful na nakasama ako doon at ‘yung binigay na fame sa Negros especially sa Bacolod City. Parang naabot mo ‘yung pangarap mo sa level ng basketball.”
Bat-og said he enjoyed his stint with the Slashers so much that he even turned down offers of higher salary to stay with the MBA team. What made him stay, Bat-og said, was the love of the fans for the players.
“Minsan nga, nung bata ako, may nag-ooffer ng mas malalaki sa other league. Ayoko kasi pagpasok sa Bacolod, mahal na mahal ka ng tao,” he said.
“Minsan papasok ka sa restaurant, may makakakilala sayo, hindi ka na magbabayad ng pagkain,” said Bat-og. “’Yung mga teammates ko, pinapadalhan ng kung ano-ano.”
Bat-og is very proud of the Slashers legacy that still reverberates to this day – from Hugnatan still playing to this day the good memories they left in the province.
Bringing back the connection of fans to the team
When Bacolod City put up an MPBL team, it was quite natural that the moniker Slashers was considered. Bat-og admitted he decided against it because of comparisons that it might create between the current team and the MBA squad.
“Maybe we cannot meet the expectations ng tao kapag ginamit namin ‘yung Slashers na word. Naghanap na lang kami ng new name sa team. Hopefully, we can compete,” said Bat-og.
Bat-og said the aim is that the team will have the same personality and the connection to the fans as the old Slashers days in the MBA. In order to do that, Bat-og said that he has been reminding the players as soon as the team was formed just a few weeks ago to play hard, even planning to send the team to Bacolod to practice.
“Sabi ko sa kanila, I want to win pero kung sobrang lakas ng team, gusto ko nakikita kong lumalaban kayo kasi ako, sanay ako lumaban eh. Sanay ako dumepensa sa malalaki. Gusto ko makita ‘yung sarili ko sa kanila … Sabi ko sa kanila, tatalunin ng sipag ang galing. Kailangan masipag kayo. Kasi kung masipag, gagaling ka rin,” said Bat-og.
“’Yun ang iniinstill ko sa mga players. Kung sa Bacolod, mag-perform tayo, mamahalin tayo ng tao. Gusto ko by January, doon kami mag-eensayo para ma-impart sa tao na team talaga nila ito … I like to bring that back,” said Bat-og.
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