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ECHO manager, coach break silence on roamer brouhaha

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Courtesy: MPL Philippines " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/10/29/20231029-echo.jpg"/><figcaption>Courtesy: MPL Philippines </figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — ECHO manager Mitch Liwanag broke her silence on the brouhaha surrounding the decision to bench Tristan &quot;Yawi&quot; Cabrera for most of MPL Season 12. In a press conference after the playoff elimination to Blacklist International, Liwanag bared that she has been receiving death threats, as uproar to field in the 21-year-old star intensifies. “I’ve been trying to be quiet for the whole season just to protect yung nga players ko and Yawi. Parang tinake ko lahat, yung bashing, okay lang. Pero, please spare my family and my child dun sa mga bashing. I’ve been receiving death threats. Parang, sasaktan daw nila ako sa venue and I’m trying to tell Jaypee na wag pansinin,” Liwanag said. Miscommunication problems surfaced from their off-season tournaments such as the World Cyber Games in Korea and MSC 2023, where ECHO placed 3rd, Liwanag bared. In a Facebook post the night after the interview, head coach Archie &quot;Tictac&quot; Reyes said ECHO&#x27;s aggressive ways, of which Yawi is a major architect, was a hit or miss when they finished 3rd in MSC 2023. &quot;Alam naman natin na maganda ang naging run namin noong M4 and MPL last season gawa ng mga risky plays. Pero kung inyong mapapansin during MSC, Snap and WCG yun din ang dahilan kung bakit hindi namin nakamit ang gusto nating resulta,&quot; Tictac said. For the longest time, the team tried to fix things internally, and it wound up with her wedged in a difficult situation, which resulted in her husband, ECHO starting roamer Jaypee &quot;Jaypee&quot; Dela Cruz also soaking up backlash as the community accused Liwanag of politicking. &quot;Ang decision na to ay nabackupan din ng scrims results during the process. So sa mga nagsasabi na napulitika si Yawi, meron po kaming &#x27;resibo&#x27;,&quot; Tictac said. ECHO&#x27;s players earlier said they picked Jaypee over Yawi, a decision that drove a wedge between Yawi and the rest of the team, including Liwanag. &quot;Si Yawi, naiintindihan ko yung nararamdaman niya. It’s very valid kasi wala naman ding problema sa laro niya, it’s just the communication. Then, every week nag-uusap kami, and I know pati sakin malaki tampo niya pero I’m trying to fix everything internally. Sinasalo ko lahat,&quot; she said. Ultimately, the management decided they will bench Jaypee if he makes a mistake. &quot;However, nagkaroon ng 11-win streak and the coaches and players decided na ayaw nilang maputol yung momentum,” Liwanag said. For her, Yawi has remained dedicated to the team right until the very end, when the squad fielded him in in their last two games against Blacklist International. &quot;Mabait naman si Yawi, lagi siyang naglalaro naappreciate ko &#x27;yong ginagawa niya para maayos [ang lahat] kaso nagkaroon ng internal problem,&quot; she said. In the end, Yawi managed to lead ECHO to one point, before ultimately succumbing in the last game as Blacklist dissected their draft. &quot;Last-minute game, so alam naman ni Yawi na anytime papasok siya. Like with Markyyy sa Geek Fam and pinakita ng players na tiwala sila even the main five and sabi ko &#x27;Wi, tiwala lang&#x27; noong una sabi niya ayaw niya kasi natatakot siya na magpatalo siya sa last pero sabi namin, no regrets,&quot; Liwanag said.

 ECHO manager Mitch Liwanag broke her silence on the team's decision to bench Tristan 'Yawi' Cabrera for most of MPL Season 12, adding that she received death threats. 