Basketball Star and Actor Maoi Roca Dies

Maoi Roca, a basketball star who played in the UAAP and the MBA and then went on to find fame as a comedic actor, has passed away. He was 47 years old.

The news was reported by Spin.ph and expressions of sympathy and condolences have since flooded Roca’s Facebook page. According to Spin, the cause of death was complications related to diabetes.

Born on December 12, 1974, Maoi Recampo Roca was a member of the DLSU Green Archers from 1994 to 1998, helping his team win the championship trophy against Far Eastern University in his last year. He then went on to play in the Batangas Blades in the short-lived professional league Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) in the 1999 to 2000 season.

Although he was drafted into the PBA in the 2001 season by Tanduay, Roca never actually got to play there. 

In the ‘90s, Roca tried his hand in show business, most famously joining the cast of the gag show Tropang Trumpo on ABC-5 (now TV5). He displayed comedic chops and held his own opposite castmates Michael V, Ogie Alcasid, Carmina Villaroel, Gelli De Belen, and Earl Ignacio.

According to his social media, Roca had been living in San Pedro, Laguna. He posted photos of himself in the hospital late last year. 

There was no information immediately available about family members he has left behind.