MARCK Espejo has put one of his old Alas Pilipinas-Cignal jerseys up for auction to extend financial aid to the family of his late teammate, 21-year-old Ike Barilea, who died in a motorcycle crash on November 21 in Cadiz City.
The national team stalwart set a P5,000 starting bid for the jersey, with P500 increments for interested buyers, as announced in his Facebook page.
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“I would like to extend my help to Ike and his family by auctioning this jersey. For those who also wish to offer support, I would deeply and sincerely appreciate it,” Espejo wrote.
“All proceeds will go directly to Ike’s family. I hope you can support this initiative as we come together to help Ike and his loved ones during this difficult time.
“Thank you, Ike, for the short but meaningful time we got to spend with you. We will never forget you. The volleyball community will truly miss you. Fly high, Ike.”
READ: Alas player Barilea died in road accident, local police confirms
Espejo also penned a heartfelt tribute to the young opposite spiker, whom he described as 'pasaway, pero masaya kasama on and off the court, at malaki ang potential sa volleyball.'
The two briefly crossed paths when Barilea was called up to the national team training pool for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, where Espejo said he found both “a friend and a teammate.”
“When we were in Japan, I still remember the nights we spent in my room playing ‘pusoy,’ the late-night walks after training, buying coffee at Starbucks, and eating ramen during our day off.
“I also remember how we made you try high ball for the first time. I really thought we’d become teammates again in Criss Cross because you even asked if there were tryouts for the team. I didn’t know that would be your last message to me.”
To further honor Barilea’s memory, Espejo also opened a donation portal for those who wish to offer additional financial assistance to the Barilea family.
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