Se, shipped to Purefoods along with Eugene Tejada in a three-team trade that also sent Wesley Gonzales to San Miguel, was still recovering from an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) operation on his left knee in an injury he sustained while playing with FedEx in 2004.
Actually, Se also suffered a right ACL injury, which was successfully operated on by sports medicine expert and surgeon Dr. Raul Canlas, tapped by Purefoods to conduct tests on the players the team recently acquired.
Tejada passed the tests.
"Of course, we would gladly accept him (Se) back," said Air21 coach Bo Perasol in Filipino. "But we would like him to blossom with other teams because we can’t give him much playing time here."
Se thus filled up the 12th slot for the Express, who will take on the Coca-Cola Tigers in the opener of the All-Filipino Cup set Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Se was supposed to fill in the void left by rookie Jondan Salvador, also sidelined by ACL injury.
San Miguel takes on Alaska Milk in the other game at 6:40 p.m.
Meanwhile, Fiesta Conference champion Red Bull renewed the contracts of Cyrus Baguio, Lordy Tugade and Junthy Valenzuela, leaving only Jimwell Torion as the only player unsigned in the coming conference.
Red Bull recently acquired Rich Alvarez from Alaska in exchange for their first round picks in the next two years.
The Photokina franchise also took in seven-footer EJ Feihl with Warren Ybañez in the reserved list.
Talk N Text also picked up free agent Chris Cantonjos while assuming the contracts of Vergel Meneses from Red Bull and Anton Villoria from San Miguel.
This year’s top rookie pick Fil-Am Anthony Washington and Felix Belano were relegated to the injured list.
San Miguel, for its part, took in Migs Noble and sent neophyte Mark Kong to its regular line-up while placing another newcomer Paolo Hubalde to the injured list.
Defending champion Barangay Ginebra elevated Egay Echavez to the regular roster after Jay Jay Helterbrand and Andy Seigle got sidelined by injuries.