CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur — Meralco has ultimately chosen to move on from Ismael Romero for the upcoming PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup.
The Bolts are no longer going with the Puerto Rican bruiser, instead bringing in Marvin Jones, the team announced through its social media pages Saturday.
The development should explain why the MVP Group-owned franchise kept its import slot vacant based on the official list of lineups released Friday.
Romero was Meralco’s initial choice for the midseason joust, given the chemistry he’s built with the team as one of its reinforcements in the 2025-26 East Asia Super League home-and-away, in which it missed the playoffs again.
But the hulking forward met controversy for kicking former PBA winger Nick Demusis during the Dubai International Basketball Championship last January, when his Al Ahli Tripoli took on the Zamboanga Valientes.
He has yet to issue an apology regarding the incident that inevitably left Filipino fans furious, given the severity of his actions.
Romero actually returned to Manila to resume their EASL campaign, but their run ended after losing to the Ryukyu Golden Kings last February 11.
The Bolts initially confirmed that he’d be back for the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup. He even had his own warmup for the tilt when he led Puerto Rico in the recent FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers window.
Now, he is no longer flying to the Philippines again after Meralco deemed it best to part ways with him by signing up the 32-year-old Jones.
Listed at exactly 7-feet, the Chicago-native won the FIBA Europe Cup title just last year by helping Spanish side Bilbao Basket take down PAOK mateco of Greece.
PAOK was actually one of his former teams and would make a return to the esteemed club this 2025-26 season before both parties parted ways.
Jones is bringing his extensive experience to the Bolts, having had stints in Slovenia, Spain, Montenegro, and Puerto Rico, to name some.
He and Meralco will make their Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup debut on March 18 against the Converge FiberXers at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
