MANILA, Philippines – UP star Francis Lopez on Tuesday, December 26, apologized for grabbing the mask of a carnival employee during the Fighting Maroons’ trip to Subic, Zambales.
As seen in the now-deleted vlog of UP captain CJ Cansino, Lopez and his teammates were riding a “horror train” when the athletic forward yanked the mask of a man that served as part of the attraction.
The incident disappointed and displeased fans after a clip of it made the rounds on social media.
“I am sorry for any harm that I have caused and I am committed to learning from this experience,” Lopez wrote on his Facebook account.
“I will do my best to be more mindful of my actions in the future and I will make every effort to remember that what I do reflects on the values of my family, my team, and the university I represent.”
Lopez said the Fighting Maroons have been searching for the man to personally apologize to him.
“I together with CJ and the team have tried to reach out to the employee to apologize to him in person, but we have yet to track him down,” said Lopez.
“We will continue to look for him because I want to talk to him and let him know that it was never my intention to hurt anyone.”
One of Gilas Pilipinas’ young cogs, Lopez enjoyed a stellar debut season with UP, helping the Fighting Maroons reach the UAAP finals before they fell short of the Season 86 crown, bowing to the La Salle Green Archers.
Lopez, 20, won Rookie of the Year honors.
“Thank you to the UP community for your support and for holding me accountable for my actions. On the court and off it, I promise to do my best not to let you down,” he said. – Rappler.com