Santiago City – Former leg winners Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Ramil Gallego and Roberto Gomez trouced their respective second round foes to further advance their bids for a second tour title in The Manny Villar Cup Isabela Leg yesterday at the La Salette High School Gymnasium here.
Bustamante followed up his 9-4 blasting of upstart Emil Martinez in the first round with a 9-1 manhandling of former national champion Lee Van Corteza as the 46-year-old former world no.1 moved a step closer to duplicating his title conquest of the Baguio-Panagbenga leg of this prestigious island-hopping series presented by Senator Manny Villar's Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports.
Gallego, the Bulacan leg champion, demolished Richard Pornelosa, 9-2, for his second straight easy victory after a 9-4 triumph over local bet Abib Cullanan in the opening round of this three-day tournament co-organized by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines, sponsored by Camella Communities and sanctioned by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines.
Davao leg titlist Gomez, on the other hand, defeated Bugsy Promotions stablemate Michael Feliciano, 9-6. The 2007 World Pool Championship runner-up won his first round match against local qualifier Alvin Alcantara, 9-7.
Gallego, who won the Japan Open last March, was equally unforgiving. After winning the lag, the pride of Iloilo pocketed the first three racks and never gave the young Pornelosa a chance.
Meanwhile, Gomez shook off a so-so start that had him trailing 0-2 by capitalizing on Feliciano's unforced errors in the middle of the match.
Unheralded Ruben Cuna, who made it to the event via the Manila qualifier, subdued Jomar de Ocampo, 9-6, to join Bustamante, Gallego and Gomez in the quarterfinals.
Two other previous leg winners, Gandy Valle ( Cebu ) and Warren Kiamco (Alabang), along with Efren “Bata” Reyes, Ronnie Alcano, Elmer Haya, Carlo Biado, Rene Mar David and Allan Bravo were still in the in hunt as they were playing their second round matches at presstime.
Two huge upsets took place in the opening round, the first was Rodolfo Luat's succumbing to Bravo, a qualifier from Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, 9-5, and the second was Cuna's 9-8 squeaker over former world no.1 Dennis Orcollo.
