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The turn of the year saw the death of former Geneva guard Emilio “Nonoy” Chuatico, who succumbed to cancer on Saturday in the United States, a source close to the family confirmed to ESPN5.com. He was 55 years old.
On Saturday night, several of Chuatico’s friends had posted their condolences on their personal Facebook accounts.
A deadly outside shooter and playmaker, the six-footer Chuatico played four seasons in the PBA, beginning with Tondeña 65 (Geneva) after being selected eighth in the 1992 rookie draft. He was subsequently traded to Purefoods before the start of the 1995 season, swapping places with Ateneo alumnus Vince Hizon. Chuatico had a career average of 5.0 points in four seasons as a PBA professional. In 1998, he became part of the original Manila Metrostars team in the inaugural season of the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).
The climax of Chuatico’s basketball career was when he captained the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the first of their consecutive UAAP men’s basketball titles in 1987. That team, coached by Cris Calilan and with future professionals Jun Reyes, Eric Reyes and Alex. Araneta was 14-1 on the season, including a 94-92 win over the EU Warriors in the championship game.
After graduating from the Ateneo, Chuatico played in the Philippine Basketball League. His game later earned him a spot on the national team, where he served as captain of the Philippine men’s team that regained the men’s basketball gold medal from the 1991 Southeast Asian Games here in Manila.
Chuatico was subsequently inducted into the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
