Jericho Cruz found himself in a unique position this past week as he suited up for his childhood hometown of Guam against the Philippines, where he honed his craft for the past decade.
However, despite the situation, Cruz insists that his ties with his Filipino brothers — especially his teammates at San Miguel — remain strong.
“For me, it’s pretty much the same, it’s just that we have different teammates,” the 35-year-old point shooting guard said.
Even though his love for the country and his professional teammates remains the same, Cruz keeps his loyalty reserved only for the name he wears across his chest.
“When it comes to the court, it’s war time for me. I gotta roll with my boys, the Guam boys,” he added.
The reigning PBA Philippine Cup Finals MVP wrapped up his impressive two-game stand against Gilas Pilipinas with a massive 27-point outing.
Having represented Guam at the FIBA level since 2020, Cruz relished the chance to show Filipino fans that he meant business.
“But it doesn’t change anything. It’s been the same, like when I’m with San Miguel, every time when I play with CJ [Perez] and June Mar [Fajardo]. But when it comes to game time, it’s war for me.”
He topped his performance from last November 28 at home, where he tallied 17 markers — 15 coming in the first half.
Yet despite his solid twin outings for Guam, Guam still fell short, with Cruz leading all scorers in their 71–95 loss. He also added three assists.
Head coach EJ Calvo credited their broader development system, which sends Guamanian players to Philippine colleges, for strengthening the national program.
“We really have to develop players who are then gonna leave the island and play in college like I did, like Jericho did, and some of my coaches who actually played here at Adamson,” said Guam head coach EJ Calvo.
For now, with his national team duties coming to a close, Cruz will head back with Perez and Fajardo as the Beermen continue their stint in the PBA Philippine Cup on December 5.
Even after battling on opposite sides, Cruz’s admiration for his Filipino counterparts remains unchanged.
“At the end of the day, I respect those guys. They played really good today, and I wish them the best of luck in the upcoming conference.”
#WATCH: Jericho Cruz applauds Gilas Pilipinas’ tough stand against Guam in a battle versus familiar faces on the court#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/0OhoMBBKgi
📹 Ernest Tuazon/Tiebreaker Times#LabanPilipinas #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/t0h2FaNV8J
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) December 1, 2025
